Performance of synthetic DAS as a function of array geometry

Abstract

Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) can record acoustic wavefields at high sampling rates and with dense spatial resolution difficult to achieve with seismometers. Using optical scattering induced by cable deformation, DAS can record strain fields with ones of meters spatial resolution. However, many experiments utilizing DAS have relied on unused, dark telecommunication fibers. As a result, the geophysical community has not fully explored DAS survey parameters to characterize the ideal array design. This limits our understanding of guiding principles in array design to deploy DAS effectively and efficiently in the field. A better quantitative understanding of DAS array behavior can help improve the quality of the data recorded by guiding the DAS array design. Here we use array response functions as well as beamforming and back-projection results from forward modelling calculations to assess the performance of varying DAS array geometries to record regional and local sources. A regular heptagon DAS array demonstrated improved capabilities for recording regional sources over segmented linear arrays, with potential improvements in recording and locating local sources. These results reveal DAS array performance as a function of geometry and can guide future DAS deployments.