Efficient Sampling of Geophysical Sensor Arrays on the Seafloor

Abstract The great expense of deploying dense arrays of seafloor sensors for continuous collection of geophysical data inhibits the proliferation of measurement systems to the majority of the planet's surface. Advancing geophysical coverage offshore will require technologies different from conventional methods applied onshore where electrical power and communication infrastructure is ubiquitous. Optics‐based sensors offer an approach that is efficient and scalable. Many sensors connected to a single, long optical fiber cable can be multiplexed to one electro‐optic system at the cable's end. A 100‐km long optical cable is less expensive and superior to an electrical cable of the same length as long as the required sensors can operate with light rather than electronics. We show that Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) of optical sensors can provide a low‐cost, power efficient, scalable infrastructure for arrays of both seismic and geodetic sensors on the seafloor.