SAN FRANCISCO — Researchers are using miles of optical cable beneath the Stanford university campus to observe earthquakes.<br /><br />According to a news release from the university, scientists used laser interrogators from company Optasense to record seismic activity on the cables.<br /><br />Stanford Geophysics professor Biondo Biondi says every meter of cable in the 3-mile long network acts as a sensor. <br /><br />"We can continuously listen to — and hear well — the Earth using pre-existing optical fibers that have been deployed for telecom purposes," Biondi said.<br /><br />The technology could one day be used by civil engineers to design buildings more capable of withstanding earthquakes.
