Distributed Acoustic Sensing Recordings of Cryoseismicity Enable Seismic Imaging of Permafrost in Remote Arctic Regions

Ahmad Tourei , Eileen Martin, Gabriel Fernando Rocha dos Santos, Tieyuan Zhu, Nikhil Punithan, Ming Xiao

Permafrost can be highly heterogeneous, and variability in its subsurface structure under climate warming remains poorly understood despite the critical role of permafrost in Arctic hydrology, ecosystems, and infrastructure stability. Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) provides a long-term method for dense seismic array monitoring in remote regions with passively recorded seismic activities. We deployed a 2 km fiber-optic DAS array across disturbed and undisturbed tundra near Utqiagvik, Alaska. It recorded naturally occurring cryoseismic events generated by shallow thermal contraction cracking. These events fill data gaps and provide seismic energy for imaging subsurface permafrost structure. We assessed the effects of gauge length and wave-propagation direction on the extracted dispersion characteristics and evaluated the stability and uncertainty of the resulting shear-wave velocity (Vs) inversions. The resulting Vs models reveal deep ice-rich layers interpreted as massive ground ice. This demonstrates a new, scalable technique for permafrost characterization using cryoseismic energy, which may have potential for time-lapse monitoring of permafrost dynamics and supporting infrastructure resilience in remote regions.