Earthquakes can be devastating in terms of their destructive
impacts. For decades, there have been scientific efforts seeking to
predict earthquakes. If an earthquake could be predicted reliably
in advance, people could be warned and they potentially could move
toward safety before the earthquake strikes.
Unfortunately, earthquake prediction efforts generally have not
met with success. But what about fiber optic cables — the
very cables that deliver internet connectivity: can they help when
it comes to earthquake detection?
As we know, and as explained in a recent article in
PopularMechanics.com, fiber optic cables carry
information almost at the speed of light. These cables are used
by telecommunications companies all across the globe. And they also
are implemented by oil and gas companies to detect tiny quakes that
result from drilling equipment. These companies use the
“backscatter property” of the cables to monitor the
actual movement of cables and to detect
