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

这一热切的奖项将探索分布式声学传感新兴技术，该技术将单根光纤转变为大规模多通道地震阵列。这项技术可能提供一种可扩展且负担得起的方式来部署密集的地震网络。实验分布式声学传感设备将在南极利用现有光缆中未使用的(暗)股进行测试，光缆连接美国阿蒙森-斯科特南极站和距离主站约7.5公里的远程地球科学和地震观测站(Spresso)。在对地震信号进行处理后，分布式声波传感可能为积雪、冰川和冰基岩的结构成像提供一种新的工具。了解分布式声波传感如何在冰盖上工作，科学家们可以利用自然冰震和周围地区的地震事件，检查通过地壳和地幔传播的不同地震信号。研究人员提议将阿蒙森-斯科特南极站现有的至少8公里光缆转换为8000多个传感器，以探索分布式声波传感(DAS)作为极地地震学突破性数据引擎的潜力。DAS阵列将运行约一年，使他们能够(1)评估和校准DAS技术在极端寒冷、极低噪声(包括在异常安静的南半球冬季)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部环境和瞬变信号，以及研究局部、区域和远震构造事件；(3)从结构上成像雪、冰川、冰床、地壳和地幔，不同地使用活动源、环境地震噪声和自然冰震和地震事件。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.