Seismological Applications of Downhole Distributed Acoustic Sensing

Whereas the analysis of earthquakes recorded over surface fibers is relatively common, downhole fibers have so far been scarcely utilized for earthquake seismology studies. In this short review chapter, I discuss the potential, capabilities, and limitations of downhole distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) in a broad seismological context. The spatial continuity of the DAS measurement is especially important for microseismic monitoring and the study of local earthquakes, whereas for regional and teleseismic earthquakes, the lower noise levels at depth may play a significant role. Whereas the higher noise levels in DAS compared to traditional sensors may be mitigated through various array-based approaches, the directional nature of the measurement remains a primary limitation in any source parameter estimation. I suggest various approaches to mitigate the shortcomings of DAS and integrate it into groundbreaking seismological studies.