Abstract Distributed fiber-optic sensing remains underutilized in seafloor geomorphic research, in part because global submarine cable networks are typically located far from areas of primary scientific interest. Here we present Geo-Sense, a portable, autonomous Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) system designed for rapid, targeted deployment and high-resolution seafloor monitoring without reliance on permanent telecommunications infrastructure. The system integrates a low-power interrogator, battery power, and a 1 km steel-armored sensing cable. Performance was evaluated during an eight-day deployment at 380 m water depth in Monterey Bay, California, using well-characterized seismic and oceanographic signals as benchmarks. Geo-Sense identified all cataloged earthquakes during the deployment and recorded additional uncataloged seismic and hydroacoustic events. DAS-derived magnitudes show strong agreement with catalog values, and source-receiver distance estimates derived from P-S arrival times are consistent with catalog-reported distances. Beyond seismicity, broadband DAS amplitude (4–30 Hz) exhibits multi-hour modulation correlated with near-bottom current velocities, while lower-frequency wave and microseism bands display coherent tidal modulation. Signal quality is strongly influenced by cable-seafloor coupling and geometry. These results demonstrate that portable DAS systems can provide spatially distributed observations of both microseismicity and tidally driven processes in submarine canyon environments.
Micallef et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
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