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Oceanic Sounds of Last Year's Earthquake

Posted by Zonk on from the science-on-a-massive-scale dept.

DoctorBit writes "Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory is reporting that some of their researchers have analyzed recordings of the underwater sound produced by last year's magnitude 9.3 Sumatra earthquake. By studying the ocean's sound waves rather than the Earth's seismic waves, the researchers measured the earthquake's speed and duration with unprecedented accuracy."

7 of 75 comments (clear)

  1. Sustained energy by TimTheFoolMan · · Score: 5, Informative

    What's interesting in listening to the MP3 is the sense of sustained energy over such a long period of time. Surreal...

    Tim

  2. In case of Slashdotting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    The MP3:
    http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu.nyud.net:8090/news/20 05/images/tsun_eq.mp3

    The Article:
    http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu.nyud.net:8090/news/20 05/07_20_05.htm

    Enjoy.

  3. Chili... by Saeed+al-Sahaf · · Score: 5, Funny
    What's interesting in listening to the MP3 is the sense of sustained energy over such a long period of time. Surreal...

    Amazingly, this is the sign of good chili as well.

    --
    "Who are in control, they are not in control of anything - they don't even control themselves!" - Glen Beck
  4. caterpillar drive? by E8086 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Have I got this straight, Jonesy? A $40 million computer tells you you're chasing an earthquake, but you don't believe, and you come up with this on your own?

    --
    F7 doesn't work, ignore spelling and grammar
  5. Not really surprising by Derling+Whirvish · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It's not really surprising at all. A lightning bolt makes a distinct short crack if you are close to it, which becomes the sustained rumble of thunder if you are much distance away. In fact, the length of the rumble increases as the distance between you and the lightning bolt increases. It's due to the reflection of the sound off other objects spreading the sound out. The same phenomenon should happen with the sound of an earthquake as it travels through the earth's crust should it not? Because the sound was recorded some distance away, it should not equal the same length of time the "earth's crust was ripping" anymore than the sound of thunder some distance away from a thunderstorm is a record of the duration of the earth's atmosphere ripping from a lightning strike.

  6. Having listened to the sound ... by ta+ma+de · · Score: 5, Funny

    It is obvious to any idiot that the earthquake was caused by an imperial destroyer passing overhead. Damn their tractor beams.

  7. the audio anomoly immediately preceeding the quake by bobdotorg · · Score: 4, Funny

    the audio anomoly immediately preceeding the quake was the sound of the pulling of a tectonic finger.

    --
    __ Someday, but not this morning, I'll finally learn to use the preview button.