ROME: TIM’s fiber optic submarine cables can be used for research and science thanks to experiments carried out by the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) and the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) in Potsdam to monitor seismic events related to active volcanism.

The experiment, unique in Italy, was carried out in Sicilian waters for about a month using the section of underwater fiber optic linking the TIM power station of Vulcano, one of the Aeolian Islands, to Milazzo, in the north of Sicily, which extends for a distance of about 50 kilometers on the seabed.

The use of fiber optics as a seismic sensor makes it possible to record signals with high spatial (about 4 meters) and temporal (1 kHz) resolution.

The DAS (Distributed Acoustic Sensing) device installed at the plant sends light pulses into the fiber and records the backscattered signal influenced by dynamic stress variations. By analyzing this, it is possible to derive the motion of the earth remotely via the Internet.

During the experiment, approximately 20 terabytes of data were continuously acquired, which are currently being studied by scientists to understand the processes responsible for the awakening of volcanic activity on the island. From the first analyzes it appeared that the new technology used proved to have excellent signal precision and sensitivity of seismic signals, allowing to observe the dynamic variations of deformation created by anthropogenic and natural sources, with variations deformation on the fiber generated. by local seismic events.

This important initiative paves the way for possible application areas where the TIM Group’s fiber optic, terrestrial and submarine infrastructures can be used in the scientific field to develop next-generation sensor solutions thanks to the expertise of leading international research organizations, such as the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology and the German Research Center for Geosciences in Potsdam.