Marine and Shoreline
Using customised single-mode or multi-mode fibre or by using dark fibre in existing subsea telecom networks, Silixa’s cutting-edge marine and shoreline monitoring solution enables a number of innovative applications that can help predict environmental hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides or other hazardous events caused by erosion or sediment transportation.
These distributed sensing-based applications minimise the risk of environmental damage, potential loss of life, and damage to infrastructure.
Distributed fibre optic sensing is a relatively new technology and there are no alternatives that are as cost-effective, technically feasible, and easy to apply in the environmental sector.
Distributed Sensing provides spatially dense geophysical, temperature and geotechnical data along several tens of kilometres, including marine environments, from shallow coastal areas to deep ocean.
Silixa provides a comprehensive monitoring solution to marine geophysical and geotechnical projects with the highest measurement accuracy and resolution performance in the market.
The broadband sensitivity of the iDAS™ (1mHz to 50kHz) combined with the high-resolution measurements of Silixa’s ULTIMA™ DTS and XT-DTS™ (0.01° C, 12.5 cm) and DSS (1 µε) makes it suitable for mapping subsea faults, detecting microseismic events and recording remote earthquakes, measuring physical properties of seawater and monitoring ground deformation and subsea critical infrastructures.
iDAS and active (heated) DTS measurements can be used for sediment transport monitoring in ports, estuaries and other coastal environments, improving dredging procedures and significantly reducing maintenance costs.
Advances in Silixa’s phase-coherent iDAS technology have also opened new perspectives for continuous environmental monitoring using ambient noise tomography techniques to minimise data acquisition costs.
The advancements in our phase-coherent iDAS technology in the recent years have opened new perspectives for several geophysical and geotechnical applications. The ability to utilise the extensive web of unused subsea optical fibre cables that occur in the most remote and difficult to reach environments for monitoring purposes is invaluable. Collecting distributed acoustic data on dark fibres enables detailed mapping of the seafloor to assess the potential for offshore seismic hazards.
- Seafloor seismology
- Optimisation of dredging work in ports
- Detection of gas leaks into seawater
- Salinity monitoring
- Monitoring offshore critical infrastructures
- Mapping subsea cable landing locations
- Tsunami detection
- Monitoring coastal erosion due to climate change
- Submarine landslides monitoring
- Monitoring noise levels to protect marine life
Detailed insight into ocean dynamics
iDAS provides dense channel spacing (<1m) over large distances (up to tens of kilometres), making detailed site characterization and near-surface imaging possible over large distances with one instrument. The exceptional broadband sensitivity of iDAS enables subsea fault mapping with unprecedented detail, giving a detailed insight into ocean dynamics.
Non-intrusive unmanned operations delivering environmental benefits
Silixa’s marine and shoreline monitoirng solution delivers obvious environmental benefits. It enables continuous distributed measurements along tens of kilometres simultaneously, without disturbing the sensitive marine ecosystem.
Data can be recorded on single-mode or multi-mode fibre using cables constructed to suit the environment or on pre-existing subsea telecommunications networks, so called dark fibres.
Cost effective, remote data acquisition
Fibre optic cables can be permanently installed on the seafloor or into subsea boreholes replacing costly logging and minimising the time for marine seismic campaigns. The capability to operate on existing subsea telecom networks is an invaluable advantage as well as it minimises cable deployment costs.
iDAS, DTS and DSS data can be acquired remotely once the cable is installed, and the interrogator is configured.
Minimum maintenance
The sensor (the optical fibre itself) does not have any electrical or moving parts and therefore a distributed sensing system requires minimal maintenance. Minimising manual intervention saves time and cost in the challenging marine environment and offers an effective solution to marine and shoreline monitoring.
One cable, multiple measurements
Silixa’s marine and shoreline monitoring system is a comprehensive solution that of includes cable deployment services, integrated monitoring system setup, data acquisition service, data management and processing, as well as data analysis.
iDAS, DTS and DSS technologies can be implemented using a single cable to measure acoustics, temperature and strain, serving multiple applications.
Reliable monitoring for fast and accurate decision making
The dense spatial and temporal sampling provided by iDAS, DTS and DSS interrogators enables a better understanding of seismic hazards and associated risks and enables the system to function as an early warning system.
Silixa’s expertise in the field of environmental geophysics can be utilised to protect the environment as well as to reduce direct anthropogenic impacts to our environment. This also guides long-term policy to improve and protect the natural world.
