Viewing Inside the Earth

Roland Piquepaille writes "Last week, a study released by Princeton University said that geoscientists have captured images of the interior of the Earth by using techniques similar to body scanning by physicians. This study also revealed in-depth structures which might explain how our planet is changing -- and aging. They studied more than 86,000 earthquakes which occurred since 1964. And they found 32 "mantle plumes" which are believed to cause island chains, such as the Hawaiian Islands and Iceland. They have been conjectured thirty years ago, but this is the first visual evidence they exist. This overview contains more details and references, including a rendering of mantle plumes in action."

Comments

Offtopic sidenote...

[_Pinky_]

While predicition of seismic and volcanic events is still, well, progressing... Detection and tracking of such an event is very much doable...

A tsunami resulting from a seismic event can be devistating, however the landing times can be predicted... The WestCoast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (US specific, though I'm sure there are others..) has a page (http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov), that include papers, faqs, and also nice charts showing if an eartquake hit how long would it take the wave to hit (http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/ttt/ttt.htm)

Volcanic eruptions also are interesting in that they tend to throw up ash detectable via satellites... On the NOAA polar orbitals, channel 4 (10.3-11.3 microns) minus channel 5 (11.5-12.5 microns) shows most plumes... A good website for more information is NESDIS's volcano page (http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/VAAC/)

Re:seismic survey

[eyenot]

this new research grant seems to follow pretty closely on the heels of new activity occuring at yellowstone national park, described here, here, and here (where you can also buy your own survey equipment.)

apparently, yellowstone park is right on top of a vent or something that has exploded catastrophically and according to some is overdue to do the same soon.

i'm willing to bet that the funding discussed in the article i linked to above:

Grants totaling $319 million from the National Science Foundation have been awarded to cover the first five years of the major new project, called EarthScope. Work has already begun on its array of instruments and facilities, which will provide the tools for decades of future detailed studies.

... has eveything to do with attempting to determine just how soon and how badly North America is going to be covered with ash and oochi-hot burning lava. Cool, or what?