EAGER: Pilot Fiber Seismic Networks at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station

EAGER：阿蒙森-斯科特南极站试点光纤地震网络

• 批准号: 2022920
• 负责人: Zhongwen Zhan
• 金额: $ 30万
• 依托单位: California Institute of Technology
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-07-15 至 2024-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2022920&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: EAGER; Pilot; Fiber; Seismic; Networks

This EAGER award will explore the Distributed Acoustic Sensing emerging technology that transforms a single optical fiber into a massively multichannel seismic array. This technology may provide a scalable and affordable way to deploy dense seismic networks. Experimental Distributed Acoustic Sensing equipment will be tested in the Antarctic exploiting unused (dark) strands in the existing fiber-optic cable that connects the U.S. Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station to the Remote Earth Science and Seismological Observatory (SPRESSO) located about 7.5-km from the main station. Upon processing the seismic signals, the Distributed Acoustic Sensing may provide a new tool to structurally image firn, glacial ice, and glacial bedrock. Learning how Distributed Acoustic Sensing would work on the ice sheet, scientists can then check seismological signals propagating through the Earth's crust and mantle variously using natural icequakes and earthquakes events in the surrounding area.The investigators propose to convert at least 8 km of pre-existing fiber optic cable at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole station into more than 8000 sensors to explore the potential of Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) as a breakthrough data engine for polar seismology. The DAS array will operate for about one year, allowing them to (1) evaluate and calibrate the performance of the DAS technology in the extreme cold, very low noise (including during the exceptionally quiet austral winter) polar plateau environment; (2) record and analyze local ambient and transient signals from ice, anthropogenic signals, ocean microseism, atmospheric and other processes, as well as to study local, regional, and teleseismic tectonic events; (3) structurally image the firn, glacial ice, glacial bed, crust, and mantle, variously using active sources, ambient seismic noise, and natural icequake and earthquake events.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该 EAGER 奖项将探索分布式声学传感新兴技术，将单根光纤转变为大规模多通道地震阵列。该技术可以提供一种可扩展且经济实惠的方式来部署密集地震网络。实验性分布式声学传感设备将在南极进行测试，利用现有光纤电缆中未使用的（暗）线，该光纤电缆将美国阿蒙森-斯科特南极站连接到距离约 7.5 公里的远程地球科学和地震观测站 (SPRESSO)从总站出发。在处理地震信号后，分布式声学传感可以提供一种新工具来对冰雪、冰川冰和冰川基岩进行结构成像。了解分布式声学传感如何在冰盖上工作后，科学家们可以利用周围地区的自然冰震和地震事件来检查通过地壳和地幔传播的地震信号。研究人员建议转换至少 8 公里的现有地震信号将阿蒙森-斯科特南极站的光纤电缆连接到 8000 多个传感器，以探索分布式声学传感 (DAS) 作为突破性数据引擎的潜力极地地震学。 DAS阵列将运行大约一年，使他们能够（1）评估和校准DAS技术在极冷、极低噪音（包括异常安静的南方冬季）极地高原环境中的性能； （2）记录和分析来自冰、人为信号、海洋微震、大气和其他过程的局地环境信号和瞬变信号，以及研究局地、区域和远震构造事件； (3) 使用不同的活动源、环境地震噪声以及自然冰震和地震事件，对冰雪、冰川冰、冰川床、地壳和地幔进行结构成像。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过评估被认为值得支持利用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准。