UW News

Qibin Shi

July 24, 2025

Seismologists tapped into the fiber optic cable network to study offshore faults

A drone photo taken from above the Homer Spit, a 4.5 mile stretch that extends into the ocean. On the left, fiber optic cables are beneath the water.

University of Washington researchers showed that they can monitor seismic activity at the ocean floor using fiber optic cables without disrupting telecommunications. They developed this technique in Alaska and then tested it off the coast of Oregon.