Seismic

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.

When an earthquake or tsunami hits, even a few seconds warning can be the difference between life and death. A new home device is aimed at providing personalized warnings for individuals. The Brinco is a networked seismic warning and monitoring system with an accompanying mobile app.

You may have been taught in school that the Earth is composed of layers, broadly separated into a crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core. It turns out, according to new research, that there may be an inner-inner core about half the diameter of the whole inner core.

The European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) is the first satellite to detect an earthquake from space.