Seismic

Researchers have delved into what the coronavirus lockdowns have meant for human-caused Earth vibrations, leading to the discovery of what say is the "longest and most pronounced quiet period of seismic noise in recorded history.

As you might imagine, installing seismic sensors on the ocean floor isn't an easy task. Recently, however, scientists were able to detect seabed seismic activity using something that was already down there – a fiber optic telecommunications cable.

NASA has released a symphony of sounds captured by InSight on Mars including quakes, howling winds, metallic “dinks and donks” and other eerie sounds.

According to a new study, Earth's surface is smooth compared to the landscapes found deep within the planet. Using data from one of the biggest earthquakes on record, geophysicists have now found massive mountain ranges hundreds of kilometers beneath our feet.

​Although traditional seismographs are essential for warning of earthquakes, they can be difficult to access when placed on the sea floor. Well, that's where the MERMAID underwater seismic floats are designed to come in, and they've recently been successfully tested in the Galápagos.

A new study suggests that the mantle is home to much more water than was previously believed. Seismic activity around the Mariana Trench have revealed that subducting tectonic plates are dragging more water deeper into the Earth, which could change our understanding of the global water cycle.

It’s long been thought that the Earth's inner core is a solid ball of iron, but direct evidence is hard to come by. Now, researchers from the Australian National University (ANU) have detected a type of seismic wave passing through the core that only propagates through solid objects.

The next blow to Big Diamond might have just arrived. Using sound waves, geologists have discovered a gigantic stash of the so-called precious stones deep in the Earth's interior, possibly to the tune of a quadrillion tons.

While current seismometers can pick up tremors with precision, they’re short-ranged and expensive. Now a Stanford study has demonstrated that an extensive earthquake-detection network could already exist right under our feet: the optical fiber cables piping high-speed internet throughout cities.

You probably remember earthquake movies where the ground cracks wide open, sending people tumbling in, before it snaps shut. It may seem exaggerated for the sake of a good visual, but a new study out of Caltech has demonstrated that this can actually happen, contrary to the beliefs of geologists.

Using rarely detected seismic waves from a "weather bomb," a unique type of extratropical storm, scientists might be able to uncover the hidden structure of the Earth.

We currently measure changes in ice sheets via data gathered by satellites, or by flying planes overhead. But there could be a better way, with a team of researchers getting positive results from a new method that tracks seismic vibrations caused by ocean waves to measure changes in ice volume.