On the possible use of optical fiber Bragg gratings as strain sensors for geodynamical monitoring

Abstract Optical fiber sensors can be used to measure many different parameters including strain, temperature, pressure, displacement, electrical field, refractive index, rotation, position and vibrations. Among a variety of fiber sensors, fiber Bragg gratings (FBG) have numerous advantages over other optical fiber sensors. One of the major advantages of this type of sensors is attributed to wavelength-encoded information given by the Bragg grating. Since the wavelength is an absolute parameter, signal from FBG may be processed such that its information remains immune to power fluctuations along the optical path. This inherent characteristic makes the FBG sensors very attractive for application in harsh environments, “smart structures” and on-site measurements. This paper reviews the achievements about the FBG as a strain and temperature sensor and describes the potential applications of FBG sensors for applications in the field of geophysics and its expected development in the near future. The applications could include: rock deformation, fiber-optic geophone, optical based seismograph, vertical seismic profiling and structural monitoring of civil structures. Different techniques to detect strains and various applications will be reviewed and discussed. The problem of temperature–strain cross sensitivity, that is particularly difficult to eliminate, is addressed and approaches to overcome it are discussed.