From Detection to Action: Overcoming the Last-Mile Challenges in Seafloor Geohazard Monitoring

Abstract

Submarine geohazards, including earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic activity, pose a series of complex threats to coastal communities and critical offshore infrastructure. While recent advances in seafloor monitoring technologies (e.g., distributed acoustic sensing, AI-enhanced seismometers) have improved detection capabilities, significant gaps persist between data collection and actionable warnings. This study identifies three critical issues: (1) hardware limitations, where 40% of deep-sea sensors fail within 18 months due to extreme pressures and corrosion; (2) data latency, with even advanced systems like Japan’s DAS networks suffering 8–15-second delays in tsunami detection; and (3) institutional fragmentation, evidenced by 17 incompatible data formats across global OBS networks, leading to 22% data loss. We evaluate emerging solutions, from graphene-based pressure-resistant sensors to automated decision pipelines and prove how integrated systems could reduce warning times by 50% while cutting the unnecessary costs. The findings also point out an urgent need for standardized protocols and cross-sector collaboration to transform monitoring science into the more effective risk mitigation.