NORFOX: an experimental fiber-optic DAS array for seismo-acoustic monitoring in Norway

NORFOX: an experimental fiber-optic DAS array for seismo-acoustic monitoring in Norway | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article NORFOX: an experimental fiber-optic DAS array for seismo-acoustic monitoring in Norway Antoine Turquet, Andreas Wuestefeld, Alan F. Baird, Kamran Iranpour, and 7 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9266953/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted 9 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) is a rapidly developing technology providing spatially dense data of great value for seismic and acoustic monitoring. This paper presents NORFOX, a dedicated DAS installation in southeastern Norway. NORFOX comprises a dedicated fibre-optic array with a geometry designed for earthquake and explosion monitoring. A defining feature of the site is its co-location with the NORES seismic and infrasound arrays, enabling direct comparison of DAS observations with conventional seismic and acoustic measurements. This multi-sensor configuration provides a controlled environment for benchmarking DAS data, and it paves the way for advanced, multi-physics wavefield modelling. NORFOX records various natural and anthropogenic seismo-acoustic signals, including earthquakes, explosions, aircraft, and thunder. The ultra-dense spatial sampling provided by DAS can complement traditional monitoring networks, including those used for nuclear-test monitoring. NORFOX helps address key challenges in small-yield event detection, phase discrimination, and event classification. We describe the DAS array layout, the design rationale, the co-located instrumentation, and provide an initial characterisation of fibre performance and background noise behaviour. We also discuss practical aspects of operating the site and outline current limitations. The site is further complemented by an all-sky camera and weather station to record visual events such as meteoroids and lightning activity, and to measure environmental changes; both of which can support the interpretation of the DAS measurements. Using representative examples, we demonstrate the capability of NORFOX for DAS-based array analysis and benchmarking against conventional arrays. NORFOX therefore provides a valuable test-bed for developing, validating and comparing future DAS monitoring approaches in seismology and seismo-acoustic sensing. Distributed Acoustic Sensing Event Monitoring Noise Analysis Fibre Comparison Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 18 May, 2026 Reviews received at journal 17 May, 2026 Reviews received at journal 11 May, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 15 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 08 Apr, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 07 Apr, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 01 Apr, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 31 Mar, 2026 First submitted to journal 30 Mar, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9266953","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":616823142,"identity":"1ffd127c-104e-4abf-be52-ca43cbd481d0","order_by":0,"name":"Antoine Turquet","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAuUlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYLCCBAYGOVLUM4O1GJOoBQgSG4jWwD+7/+CDhzts0rez9z7+8HMPQx4/IS0Sdw4zGySeScvd2XPcTLLnGUOxJEH7biSzSSS2Hc7dcCONjYHnAEPihgMEdMhDtPxPN7iRxvzxDzFaDCBaDiQAtTBIE2WL4Y1kY4PEtmTDDWeOsUnLHJBInEnIL3I3Eh8+/NlmJ29wvI3545sDNon9BHRgAAlSNYyCUTAKRsEowAYAzlpA/oDmTpgAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"NORSAR","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Antoine","middleName":"","lastName":"Turquet","suffix":""},{"id":616823143,"identity":"6a15e0ad-ce9d-4fa9-a4ea-71af5b006e8f","order_by":1,"name":"Andreas Wuestefeld","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"NORSAR","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Andreas","middleName":"","lastName":"Wuestefeld","suffix":""},{"id":616823144,"identity":"b253bef3-898b-4b9e-9f25-1e7e92f8711e","order_by":2,"name":"Alan F. Baird","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"NORSAR","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Alan","middleName":"F.","lastName":"Baird","suffix":""},{"id":616823145,"identity":"b276fc41-0c48-460b-92d5-1d44907baf62","order_by":3,"name":"Kamran Iranpour","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"NORSAR","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Kamran","middleName":"","lastName":"Iranpour","suffix":""},{"id":616823146,"identity":"3dd8ca9c-c5a5-4b7c-97ee-eabb6c2a9094","order_by":4,"name":"Anna Maria Dichiarante","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"NORSAR","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Anna","middleName":"Maria","lastName":"Dichiarante","suffix":""},{"id":616823147,"identity":"705f93ed-7a29-48b7-a9a1-451940cd3692","order_by":5,"name":"Sindre Stokkan","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"NORSAR","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sindre","middleName":"","lastName":"Stokkan","suffix":""},{"id":616823148,"identity":"a1f840de-50f2-4c38-87c0-55cbcfe90441","order_by":6,"name":"Ravn Rydtun","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"NORSAR","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ravn","middleName":"","lastName":"Rydtun","suffix":""},{"id":616823149,"identity":"1e9f0fea-e27e-4c4d-9f8c-2a520a0057af","order_by":7,"name":"Volker Oye","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"NORSAR","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Volker","middleName":"","lastName":"Oye","suffix":""},{"id":616823150,"identity":"c4ccae2b-abf9-4575-a814-d578c29f9804","order_by":8,"name":"Ben D.E. Dando","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"NORSAR","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ben","middleName":"D.E.","lastName":"Dando","suffix":""},{"id":616823151,"identity":"02ea6610-38d7-4da9-8d50-661629f67511","order_by":9,"name":"Andreas Köhler","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"NORSAR","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Andreas","middleName":"","lastName":"Köhler","suffix":""},{"id":616823152,"identity":"3b3e85e0-5695-4faa-8bac-609e7f02b7b9","order_by":10,"name":"Sven Peter Naesholm","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"NORSAR","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sven","middleName":"Peter","lastName":"Naesholm","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-03-30 12:38:45","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9266953/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9266953/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":106404461,"identity":"88b4fc18-9991-4812-b7bf-8e563eab8b09","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-04-08 09:16:03","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":6477614,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"TurquetNORFOXdraftv5.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9266953/v1_covered_ae46e22b-a409-4f57-9b4b-7cde54f1cf5d.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"NORFOX: an experimental fiber-optic DAS array for seismo-acoustic monitoring in Norway","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"pure-and-applied-geophysics","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"paag","sideBox":"Learn more about [Pure and Applied Geophysics](https://www.springer.com/journal/24)","snPcode":"24","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/24/3","title":"Pure and Applied Geophysics","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Distributed Acoustic Sensing, Event Monitoring, Noise Analysis, Fibre Comparison","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9266953/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9266953/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eDistributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) is a rapidly developing technology providing spatially dense data of great value for seismic and acoustic monitoring. This paper presents NORFOX, a dedicated DAS installation in southeastern Norway. NORFOX comprises a dedicated fibre-optic array with a geometry designed for earthquake and explosion monitoring. A defining feature of the site is its co-location with the NORES seismic and infrasound arrays, enabling direct comparison of DAS observations with conventional seismic and acoustic measurements. This multi-sensor configuration provides a controlled environment for benchmarking DAS data, and it paves the way for advanced, multi-physics wavefield modelling. NORFOX records various natural and anthropogenic seismo-acoustic signals, including earthquakes, explosions, aircraft, and thunder.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe ultra-dense spatial sampling provided by DAS can complement traditional monitoring networks, including those used for nuclear-test monitoring. NORFOX helps address key challenges in small-yield event detection, phase discrimination, and event classification.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe describe the DAS array layout, the design rationale, the co-located instrumentation, and provide an initial characterisation of fibre performance and background noise behaviour. We also discuss practical aspects of operating the site and outline current limitations. The site is further complemented by an all-sky camera and weather station to record visual events such as meteoroids and lightning activity, and to measure environmental changes; both of which can support the interpretation of the DAS measurements. Using representative examples, we demonstrate the capability of NORFOX for DAS-based array analysis and benchmarking against conventional arrays. NORFOX therefore provides a valuable test-bed for developing, validating and comparing future DAS monitoring approaches in seismology and seismo-acoustic sensing.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"NORFOX: an experimental fiber-optic DAS array for seismo-acoustic monitoring in Norway","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-04-07 04:22:55","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9266953/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2026-05-18T12:45:43+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-05-17T13:29:30+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-05-11T17:54:22+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"77108298900827341528109418643557725282","date":"2026-04-15T20:26:45+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"318699167588633413410463934477623922165","date":"2026-04-08T09:09:59+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-04-07T14:22:25+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-04-01T08:47:29+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2026-03-31T13:03:11+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Pure and Applied Geophysics","date":"2026-03-30T12:32:05+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"pure-and-applied-geophysics","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"paag","sideBox":"Learn more about [Pure and Applied Geophysics](https://www.springer.com/journal/24)","snPcode":"24","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/24/3","title":"Pure and Applied Geophysics","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"2ae0ea84-4b82-4b89-ae13-a96f11e38cb2","owner":[],"postedDate":"April 7th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2026-05-18T12:45:43+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-05-17T13:29:30+00:00","index":12,"fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-05-11T17:54:22+00:00","index":11,"fulltext":""}],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"in-revision","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-05-18T12:55:50+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-04-07 04:22:55","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-9266953","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-9266953","identity":"rs-9266953","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}