UK, New Zealand and Denmark form alliance for tsunami and earthquake detection
The project could help save numerous lives by providing vital additional time for coastal communities to prepare for natural disasters
The joint research project, backed by a £750,000 investment from the UK’s International Science Partnerships Fund, utilises quantum technology to detect initial warnings of earthquakes and tsunamis. The innovation makes use of telecommunication fibre-optic cables that currently sit on the seabed. Through an analysis of the cables’ data, researchers can detect ocean currents and seismic activity, providing crucial warnings to coastal regions that are vulnerable to natural disasters.
Experts from the UK’s National Physical Laboratory (NPL), responsible for developing and maintaining measurement standards in the UK, will work with researchers from the Measurement Standards Laboratory of New Zealand to prove the feasibility of using seafloor cables for earthquake detection. They will apply a technique called ‘optical interferometry’, which has already been successfully trialled in the Atlantic Ocean, using a fibre-optic cable running almost 6,000 kilometres from the UK to Canada.
UK Science Minister Andrew Griffith said: “Global issues require global collaboration, which is why we need to build more and stronger partnerships on science and research with like-minded nations, just like the ones I am delighted to announce with New Zealand and Denmark today.
“Bringing the UK and New Zealand’s brightest minds together, to overhaul how we give crucial advance warning of tsunamis, could save thousands of lives. This work proves the value of breakthrough technologies like quantum, and the international teamwork is crucial to harnessing them. The UK’s plans for closer work together on quantum with Denmark reinforces this even further.”
Denmark’s Minister of Higher Education and Science, Christina Egelund, said: “The UK is a very attractive partner in the quantum field, with world-class research environments and great investments. With the new memorandum of understanding (MoU), we are bringing Denmark’s quantum strategy to a higher international level. Quantum technology holds enormous potential to provide us with solutions in virtually every imaginable area, but it requires large investments and strong collaboration. For a small open economy such as Denmark, it is crucial to cooperate with the world’s leading countries.”
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