Under the memorandum of understanding with the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), TIM Group's submarine cables will be used to monitor earthquakes and tsunamis in the Mediterranean and enhance civil protection capabilities such as tsunami warnings.
Sparkle, the leading international service operator in Italy and among the leading in the world, has today signed a memorandum of understanding with theNational Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) for a research project aimed atUsing Underwater Fiber Optic Cables to Detect Seismic Events and Other Natural Phenomena in the Mediterranean. The agreement was signed by Carlo Doglioni, President of INGV, and Enrico Bagnasco, CEO of Sparkle.
Using fiber sensing techniques, it is possible to detect mechanical vibrations induced on the optical fibers of submarine cables by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and rogue waves in real time and in a difficult-to-access environment such as the seabed.
The memorandum of understanding seals a collaboration that has been underway for over two years between the TIM Group, Sparkle and INGV. The preliminary results of the experiments conducted were presented at the international conference “Fiber Optic Sensing in Geosciences” held on 16-20 June in Catania. Sparkle and INGV are committed to continue exploring, experimenting and subsequently developing the accessory use of submarine fiber optic cables as sensors for scientific and civil protection purposes, in particular for the identification and warning of tsunamis and earthquakes, and the geophysical monitoring of the seabed.
The activities conducted so far have used Sparkle’s cable system “Mednautilus” that extends from Sicily along the Eastern Mediterranean for a total length of 11.000 km, on a seabed that reaches a depth of 4.000 m. Thanks to its ring configuration, Mednautilus will in the future also offer the possibility of mapping underwater movements in multiple points of the basin and therefore localising the epicentre of marine earthquakes with greater precision.
The first experimental activities were based on the measurement of the variations of the polarization state (SOP) of the coherent optical signals that travel on the optical fibers of the cable and that carry the digital traffic. The new experiments will use data relating to the signal phase and to the SOP specific to the cable sections between the repeaters of a submarine cable; this will allow to identify the parts of the cable affected by the mechanical perturbation and to investigate its propagation.
"As a research body responsible for seismic and volcanic surveillance of the national territory in real time, INGV has always paid particular attention to technological innovation for the progress of scientific research", refers Carlo Doglioni, President of INGV. “This is why today we welcome with satisfaction the signing of the agreement with Sparkle, which will be able to contribute, with its technologies, to implement our tools for the observation and ever-improving understanding of natural phenomena".
"We are proud to collaborate with a prestigious institution such as INGV and to put our submarine cables at the service of research in an area of investigation so precious for the protection of the environment and people.", he has declared Enrico Bagnasco, CEO of Sparkle. "More than ceen years ago, as Italcable, we laid the first transoceanic cable between Anzio and Buenos Aires to allow Italians to communicate with their compatriots who emigrated to Argentina. Today, we renew this legacy by bringing the Internet and digital services around the world and pushing the frontiers of global telecommunications beyond pure connectivity to improve people's quality of life.".
The agreement also includes collaboration with other entities that share the focus on underwater technological innovation, first and foremost the National Center for Underwater Dimension (PNS), which is based in Liguria in La Spezia, and which brings together national public and private excellences operating in the sector.
Photos - Sparkle CEO Enrico Bagnasco and INGV President Carlo Doglioni during the signing of the Agreement