Earthquakes are one of the main natural disasters that cause the most deaths. Unfortunately, this type of phenomenon they are usually not predicted well in advance so that the area to be affected can be quickly evacuated. To try to expand, in another way, expand the number of seismographs that help predict these types of disasters, Stanford University has developed sensors that are coupled to fiber optic networks so that a wide network of seismographs in all those areas where fiber optics is available, to know at all times what is happening inside the earth.
Oil rigs make use of a similar system to detect any type of vibration that may affect not only the well they are digging but the integrity of the entire platform. By its nature, fiber optics is very sensitive to vibrations, so any variation in its state or vibration causes a variation that can be recorded to find out what has been the reason that has interrupted or distorted the signal and try to solve the problem.
In September 2016, Stanford University installed a fiber optic network of almost 5 kilometers, which it has equipped with sensors capable of detecting any type of movement, no matter how tiny. Since then, according to the University, has proven to be a more than efficient way When interpreting any type of movement of the earth, in fact to date, it has been able to record 800 different events. In fact, this experiment managed to detect the 8,2-magnitude earthquake that struck Mexico in early September, despite being separated by more than 3.000 kilometers, but of course, it was too late to give the alarm signal.