Comprehensive Evaluation of DAS Amplitude and Its Implications for Earthquake Early Warning and Seismic Interferometry

Abstract

Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) is an emerging technology that converts optical fibers into dense arrays of strainmeters, significantly enhancing our understanding of earthquake physics and Earth's structure. While most past DAS studies have focused primarily on seismic wave phase information, accurate measurements of true ground motion amplitudes are crucial for comprehensive future analyses. However, amplitudes in DAS recordings, especially for pre-existing telecommunication cables with uncertain fiber-ground coupling, have not been fully quantified. By calibrating three DAS arrays with co-located seismometers, we systematically evaluate DAS amplitudes. Our results indicate that the average DAS amplitude of earthquake signals closely matches that of co-located seismometer data across frequencies from 0.01 to 10 Hz. The noise floor of DAS is comparable to that of strong-motion stations but higher than that of broadband stations. The saturation amplitude of DAS is adjustable by modifying the pulse repetition rate and gauge length. We also demonstrate how our findings enhance the understanding of fiber-optic seismology and its implications for natural hazard mitigation and Earth structure imaging and monitoring. Specifically, our results suggest that with proper settings, DAS can detect P-waves from an M6+ earthquake occurring 10 km from the cable without saturation, indicating its viability for earthquake early warning. Through quantitative comparison and analysis, we also find that local ambient traffic noise levels strongly affect the quality of seismic interferometry measurement, which is a powerful tool for near-surface imaging and monitoring. Our methodology and findings are valuable for future DAS experiments that require precise seismic amplitude measurements.