GIS-based optimal route selection of submarine cables considering potential seismic fault zonesGIS-based optimal route selection of submarine cables considering potential seismic fault zones Peer-Reviewed Journal Publication Δημοσίευση σε Περιοδικό με Κριτές 2025-04-242023enSubmarine lifelines (pipelines and cables) often cross areas characterized by earthquake-related geohazards (tectonic faulting, landslides and seabed liquefaction). Avoiding geologically hazardous areas increases the length (i.e., cost), whereas a potential crossing may detrimentally affect the structural performance of the infrastructure, requiring more sophisticated design approaches and/or more costly and probably impractical deep sea condition-mitigation measures. Under such adverse conditions, a cost-effective and resilient lifeline route is deemed necessary. The current paper presents a smart decision-support tool for the optimal route selection of submarine cables, assessing whether the proposed routing could effectively cross a (seismically) geologically hazardous area. The GIS-based tool is based on an efficient methodology that combines a least-cost path analysis with a multi-criteria decision method. Accordingly, several routes can be derived for user-defined scenarios, by assigning different weight factors in the adopted design criteria and hazards. When crossing fault zones, the problem of fault-cable intersection is quantitatively assessed in a realistic manner via advanced numerical models. The optimal route can be selected by considering the potential cable distress (i.e., exceedance of allowable cable strains). This tool can be efficiently implemented for deriving the optimal route of energy and telecommunication offshore cables, as it is described in the examined real case studies.The research work was supported by the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (HFRI) under the 4th Call for HFRI Ph.D. Fellowships (Fellowship Number: 9408). This support is gratefully acknowledged by the first author.http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Applied Sciences135Makrakis_et_al_Appl. Sci._13(5)_2023.pdfChania [Greece]Library of TUC2025-04-24application/pdf7.9 MBfree Makrakis Nikolaos Μακρακης Νικολαος Psarropoulos Prodromos N. Tsompanakis Ioannis Τσομπανακης Ιωαννης MDPI Telecommunication cables Power transmission cables Earthquake-triggered geohazards Fault rupture Fault-cable intersection Cable distress Optimal route selection Geographic information systems