Thousands of Sensors Reveal 3D Structure of Earthquake-Triggered Sound Waves

Bay Area breakthrough in imaging earthquakes with 1000 times more accuracy could revolutionize how we prepare for tremors

The technology used to measure and monitor earthquakes has remained largely unchanged over the past century, but a breakthrough from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory utilizing telecommunication lines as earthquake sensors has given researchers a magnified window into the Earth’s crust. The instrument that makes it possible, known as an interrogator, enables seismic researchers to effectively hijack fiber optic cables for use as thousands o…

Thousands of sensors reveal 3D structure of earthquake-triggered sound waves

Earthquakes create ripple effects in Earth's upper atmosphere that can disrupt satellite communications and navigation systems we rely on. Nagoya University scientists and their collaborators have used Japan's extensive network of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers to create the first 3D images of atmospheric disturbances caused by the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake.

GNSS receivers show how earthquake sound waves move

Scientists at Japan’s Nagoya University have used Japan’s extensive network of GNSS receivers to create the first 3D images of atmospheric disturbances caused by the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake. Their results show sound wave disturbance patterns in unique 3D detail and provide new insights into how earthquakes generate these waves. The team published the results in the journal Earth, Planets and Space (May 29, DOI 10.1186/s40623-025-02211-y).…