This Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Ocean Sciences, under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050), provides $109,068 to the University of Washington from February 1, 2022 to January 31, 2023. The funding supports a collaborative research effort to test the feasibility of making undersea observations of seismic and oceanic processes across ocean basins using existing telecommunications cables. Specifically, the grant will partially fund two graduate students assisting principal investigators in comparing three fiber-optic methods - ultra-stable laser interferometry, distributed acoustic sensing, and a long-range polarization-based method - simultaneously on a telecom cable located in Saratoga Passage between Whidbey and Camano Islands in Puget Sound, Washington. The field tests aim to further scientific understanding of the potential for these techniques to resolve signals from earthquakes, tidal variations, and whale vocalizations over long distances using existing infrastructure. Outcomes will include preliminary data to support future proposals seeking to advance this area of research.
Mod # | Description | Reason For Modification | Federal Obligation (Click to sort descending) | Date (Click to sort ascending) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not listed | $109.1k | 1/27/22 |