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Updated: May 28, 2026
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A Silicon-tipped Fiber-optic Sensing Platform with High Resolution and Fast Response
Published on: January 7, 2019
Profiling Long-Distance Urban Near-Surface Structures with Temporary Fiber-Optic Sensing in Jinan City, China.
Lisong Chang1, Weijun Wang1,2, Kun Yan1
1Key Laboratory of Earthquake Forecasting and Risk Assessment, Ministry of Emergency Management, Institute of Earthquake Forecasting, China Earthquake Administration, Beijing 100036, China.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|May 27, 2026
Summary
Mobile surface fiber-optic cables using Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) offer a cost-effective way to image urban subsurface structures. This method successfully mapped shallow geological features, aiding in geohazard assessment and groundwater protection.
Area of Science:
- Geophysics
- Urban geology
- Seismology
Background:
- Urban underground exploration is crucial for geological safety and hydrogeological protection.
- Shallow structures significantly influence groundwater flow and spring formation in cities like Jinan.
- Traditional seismic methods are costly and complex for urban environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of mobile, unburied surface fiber-optic cables with Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) for urban subsurface imaging.
- To develop a cost-effective and efficient alternative to traditional seismic exploration methods.
- To map high-resolution subsurface structures in Jinan for geohazard and groundwater management.
Main Methods:
- Conducted ten temporary DAS experiments along a 23 km line in Jinan using mobile surface fiber-optic cables.
- Utilized subarray ambient noise interferometry with short-duration urban traffic noise DAS recordings.
- Processed data to extract stable dispersion curves and generate a 2D S-wave velocity profile, validated with nodal seismometers.
Main Results:
- Successfully mapped a high-resolution 2D S-wave velocity profile of the urban subsurface.
- Identified pronounced lateral heterogeneity, including alternating uplift zones and grabens.
- Results showed high consistency with H/V spectral ratio analyses from nodal seismometers.
Conclusions:
- Mobile surface-cable DAS is a rapid, reliable, and cost-effective solution for imaging complex urban subsurface structures.
- This technique provides essential data for geohazard assessment and protecting groundwater transport pathways.
- The study demonstrates a practical application of DAS for urban geological exploration.
