Researchers have developed a continuous seismic monitoring system that could monitor multiple geothermal or carbon storage reservoirs over a relatively large area in real time. A small seismic source generates repeated ‘chirps,’ which can be detected by fiber-optic cables within a radius of 80 km from the source. Field experiments showed that temporal changes in monitored reservoirs were captured with high accuracy.

Accurate and frequent measurements of changes in the ground enabled by the system can aid in the safe and efficient implementation of measures to fight climate change such as carbon storage and geothermal energy generation.

«Storing captured carbon dioxide underground and generating electricity from geothermal energy are two important technologies for reducing greenhouse gases,» says Takeshi Tsuji, lead author of the study published in Scientific Reports.

«However, for further adoption of these technologies, we urgently need better monitoring tools to mitigate and respond to related risks such as leakage and induced earthquake activity.»

Because of cost constraints, conventional seismic monitoring is typically performed at long time intervals. This gap between data means that rapid, unexpected changes in carbon dioxide or geothermal reservoirs can easily be missed.

The new method developed by the research team uses a small seismic source that rotates a 17-kg off-centered weight to create vibrations for probing the ground.

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