Between Ascoli Piceno e Teramo runs the first fiber network that provides internet connectivity services while implementing seismic monitoring. The "Progetto Meglio" is an innovative Italian program aimed at creating an earthquake monitoring system thanks to the so-called "Fiber Sensing" which allows real-time measurements along the entire length of a fiber cable. The approximately 30-kilometer stretch belongs to Open Fiber. The National Institute of Metrological Research (INRiM), the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), Bain & Company and Metallurgica Bresciana are also participating in the trial.
But how does the Fiber Sensing? A light signal travels inside the fiber which does not produce any electromagnetic field. In the event of a seismic event, the earth starts shaking, and with it everything else. Fiber optic cables will also start shaking. Therefore, the light signal inside the cables will also start to oscillate. And it is precisely this oscillation that could be exploited by the national body that deals with earthquake monitoring (in Italy fromINGV) to understand more precisely where the shock was felt, the intensity of the earthquake, but above all to deploy the rescue system more quickly.
If the tests are successful, and therefore the sensors are then applied to the entire Open Fiber network, the country would be equipped with a monitoring system capable of detecting seismic movements along the entire stretch involved. But it could find numerous applications, as he pointed out Francis Carpenters, Transport Engineering Manager of Open Fiber.
“Fiber sensing transforms a common fiber optic cable into a continuous series of thousands of virtual 'microphones' which listen in real time to the vibrations and sounds produced in the environment where the fiber connection is located – concluded Carpentieri -. Through the use of advanced software algorithms it is possible to listen, monitor and detect various activities and events that occur in the environment, not only earthquakes but also the traffic of vehicles and people, excavations, leaks in energy pipelines, defects on railway transport lines , and so on".
“INRiM designed, built and installed the sensor, bringing the content of innovation and technology transfer of the science of measurements and metrology – he declared David Calonicus, Head of the Quantum Metrology Division at INRiM -. Together with Open Fiber it has taken care of full compatibility with the existing data network, with INGV it develops the comparison of the data measured with respect to conventional seismographs and with BAIN it deals with the most advanced models of data analysis".
“Bain & Company, through its AAG Advanced Analytics team, stores, processes and analyzes data received from INRIM,” he explained. Francis Small Director, Data Science, Advanced Analytics Group of Bain & Company –. Bain also deals with the creation and installation of an application that allows the extraction and monitoring of historical and real-time data with the aim of developing an algorithm capable of detecting earthquakes in the long term by exploiting the optical fibers already installed throughout the country " .
While Andre Herrero, Senior Researcher of INGV, highlighted that “INGV's main role in the MEGLIO Project is the validation of the observations made on the optical fiber, thanks to its network of over 500 instruments spread over the national territory. INGV shares the recordings of nearby seismic stations and compares them with the measurements made via the optical fiber. An additional seismic station was installed near the MEGLIO instrumentation in Ascoli Piceno precisely to compare the data collected. In addition, INGV researchers offer advice on earthquakes, wave propagation and observation interpretations to support the MEGLIO project”.
