Sensing the earth crustal deformation with nano-strain resolution fiber-optic sensors

Crustal deformation measurement with a high resolution on the order of nano-strains in static to low frequency region is required for geophysical research. Optical fiber sensors are very attractive in this research field due to their unique advantages including high resolution, small size and easy deployment. In this paper, a fiber optic strain sensor with nano-strain-resolution and large measurement range for sensing the earth crustal deformation is reported. With this sensor the tide induced crustal deformation and the seismic wave were successfully recorded in field experiments.