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PRODID:-//University of Otago//Events Calendar//EN
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UID:https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/events/gsnz-2025-hochstetter-supporting-lecture-john-townend
URL:https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/events/gsnz-2025-hochstetter-supporting-lecture-john-townend
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20250912T130000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20250912T140000
SUMMARY:GSNZ 2025 Hochstetter Supporting Lecture: John Townend
DESCRIPTION:GSNZ 2025 Hochstetter Supporting Lecture: New avenues for on- and off-shore geophysical sensing using Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS)Professor John Townend, University of Victoria, Wellington Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) is a novel method of converting fibre optic cables into hundreds or thousands of closely spaced strain sensors. Pulses of laser light are scattered by optical imperfections as they propagate along a glass fibre; vibrations of the fibre induced by natural and anthropogenic sources (e.g., earthquakes, avalanches, vehicle and pedestrian traffic) affect the location and degree of scattering and can be detected. In this seminar, John will review some of the lessons learned during recent terrestrial DAS studies undertaken in 2023 and 2024 near Haast and Milford Sound, and outline plans for the collection of submarine DAS data across Cook Strait. The measurements have an effective spacing along the fibre of 4m, providing unparalleled insight into near-surface structure and regional earthquake processes. In addition to earthquake signals, there are records of numerous avalanches, rock falls, and vehicle collisions. Later this year, DAS data will be collected along a section of the Aqualink fibre between Wellington and Kaikōura. These case studies highlight geophysical sensing opportunities using existing telecommunications cables and illustrate some of the infrastructural and computational challenges posed by terabyte-scale daily data volumes. 
LOCATION:Benson Common Room (Gn9), Geology Building, 360 Leith Street, Dunedin
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