Travel on the railways and on the roads has greatly decreased in recent weeks. In addition, several heavy industries have closed their doors altogether until further notice.
Keeping millions of people confined to their homes has reduce the vibrations of the Earth’s crust.
Ground movements at a frequency between 1 and 20 Hz have actually decreased since quarantines began around the world. The confinement of Hubei Province, China, caused one of the most dramatic falls. But, all the big cities of the world observe this phenomenon. Scientists from the Royal Observatory of Belgium were the first to make the link, followed closely by their Nepalese counterparts.
Researchers are taking advantage of this silence. By reducing these parasitic vibrations, seismologists are now able to listen more faithfully to what the Earth naturally does.
Source: BBC
