Tsunami Early Warning
Tsunami waves are generated by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions that occur under the sea. Tsunamis are one of the most powerful and destructive natural forces on Earth, capable of causing death, severe injuries, and hundreds of billions of dollars in damage. Tsunami Early Warning Systems (TEWS) aim to reduce these risks by issuing tsunami advisories or warning messages from a national focal point to all relevant government officials and the public. Enhancing warning systems for accuracy and quickness remains a primary focus for seismologists today.
Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS)
DAS leverages operational telecommunications cables that are laid along or buried under the ground to sense seismic activity. The cables are connected to an interrogator that sends pulses of light. At variation in the fiber, this pulse goes in multiple directions, some of which will go back towards the interrogator and be detected.
Mentorship
I am working with Dr. Ettore Biondi, a professor of geophysics at the Stanford University Doerr School of Sustainability.Â
Project
Under the mentorship of Dr. Biondi, I will implement DAS in a simulation of a past tsunami, measuring how many seconds of warning could be achieved with this new method.