A recent study has brought attention to the significant threat that underwater avalanches, known as turbidity currents, pose to the global undersea internet network.
This network consists of over 1.5 million kilometers of submarine fiber optic cables that are essential for transmitting internet and communication data across continents.
These powerful underwater events occur when sediments on the ocean floor are suddenly displaced, leading to fast-moving flows that can severely damage or sever these delicate cables.
Such disruptions can result in widespread internet outages. The new study underscores the vulnerability of the world’s digital infrastructure to natural underwater phenomena.
Christopher Stevenson, the study’s lead author and a Senior Lecturer in Quantitative Sedimentology at the University of Liverpool, said, “My new study of an ancient underwater avalanche challenges our understanding of how these events develop and could change the way geologists assess their risk potential.”
According to a report in ScienceAlert, there are currently over 550 active seafloor cables worldwide, stretching a total of 1.4 million kilometers – enough to circle the Earth 35 times. When these cables are damaged by underwater avalanches, the consequences can be both widespread and costly.
A notable example occurred during the 2006 Pingtung earthquake in Taiwan, which triggered underwater avalanches that severed numerous seafloor cables connecting Southeast Asia with the rest of the world. During the peak of the event, China’s largest internet operator reported a 90% loss of traffic to the United States, while Taiwan experienced a 74%–100% loss in internet traffic to neighboring regions.
This disruption had a significant impact on global markets by drastically reducing the number of financial transactions that could occur. Restoring the network to full capacity took 39 days and required millions of dollars in shipping time and repairs.
The study’s authors noted that while our understanding of underwater avalanches is still developing, ongoing research continues to shed light on where and how these events occur, as well as their immense power and potential for destruction.