It is possible to take X-rays of the Earth thanks to storms.

Using a network of detectors in Japan, scientists have discovered a rare type of tremor from deep within the Earth called a "weather bomb," emanating from a storm far out in the North Atlantic.

This discovery marks the first time scientists have observed this particular type of tremor, known as a superseismic wave.

The "weather bomb" in the Atlantic is a rapidly developing and powerful storm that causes offshore waves to create subtle tremors deep within the ocean's crust. These silent waves penetrate the Earth and can be detected in places as far away as Japan, where the first instruments were used to measure the amplitude of storm tremors from P- and S-type waves, a method known as "Hi-net".

This model detects S-wave signals from sea storms.

Peter Gerstoft and Peter D. Bromirski argue that the research team's findings have provided seismologists with a new tool for studying the Earth's structure in greater depth. It will contribute to a clearer picture of Earth's movements, even those originating from the atmosphere-ocean system.

These minor tremors are called microseismic waves. They are caused by the surging ocean waves on solid ground during a storm. Microseismic waves can be detected anywhere in the world, taking many different forms as they travel through the Earth's surface and interior.

P and S waves are body waves that travel through the Earth's interior.

To date, scientists analyzing small seismic activity deep within the Earth have only been able to detect P-waves (which animals can sense before an earthquake occurs). S-waves are very difficult to observe (the type of waves that humans feel during an earthquake).

Here, researchers used 202 Hi-net stations operated by the National Institute for Earth Disaster Prevention and Control in Chugoku Prefecture, Japan, Kiwamu Nishida and Ryota Takagi. They detected not only P-wave tremors but also extremely small-amplitude S-waves generated by a North Atlantic storm, known as a weather bomb.

The Earth's internal structure still holds many mysteries.

Furthermore, the authors identified both the distance and origin of the waves providing information and the structures through which the storm travels. In this way, seismic energy travels from this tremor through the Earth. Nishida and Takagi's findings not only provide a new means of exploring the Earth's internal structure, but could also contribute to more accurate detection of earthquakes and storms.

According to Khoahoc.tv