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Air Guns Shake Up Earthquake Monitoring

sciencehabit writes "Petroleum geologists have long used air guns in their search for oil and gas deposits. Sudden blasts from the devices generate seismic waves that they use to map underground rock formations. Could the same technique be used to study earthquakes? A team of Chinese scientists thinks so. The researchers have designed an air gun that could be useful in monitoring changes in stress buildup along fault zones."

2 of 38 comments (clear)

  1. Let me be the first to say... by dietdew7 · · Score: 5, Funny

    You'll put your eye out.

    1. Re:Let me be the first to say... by ColdWetDog · · Score: 4, Funny

      OTOH, Just imagine this conversation:

      Engineer 1: Man, this is boring.
      Engineer 2: Yep, nothing happening.
      Engineer 1: How many of those guns do we have around here anyway?
      Engineer 2: Dunno, couple dozen. Home office just dropped off a bunch last week.
      Engineer 1: How many of these things can we tie together anyway?
      Engineer 2: Dunno, probably all of them, they just hook up with that cable.
      Engineer 1: Think those guys at the Earthquake Monitoring Program are awake yet?
      Engineer 2: Dunno, we could find out, I suppose.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!