Israel Makes Waves by Simulating an Earthquake
IsraelNN.com
24 Gennaio 2010
The Seismologic Division of the Ministry of National
Infrastructure's Geophysical Institute will attempt to simulate an
earthquake in the southern Negev on Thursday. The experiment, financed
by the U.S. Defense Department, is a joint project with the University
of Hawaii and is part of a scientific project intended to improve
seismological and acoustic readings in Israel and its environs, up to a
1,000 km/621 mile radius.
The experiment intends to improve the understanding of sound waves
in the atmosphere. Scientists will then be able to fine-tune Israel’s
seismological equipment to give advance warning of earthquakes.
Measurements will also be taken in other countries, including Cyprus,
Greece, France, and Germany.
Israel will create a controlled
explosion of 80 tons of explosive material, which will simulate the
intensity of a tremor after an earthquake of Magnitude 3. Natural
earthquakes of a similar intensity occur in the Middle East region
about once a week, without the public feeling them.
Courtesy, U.S. Geological Survey
The results from the experiment will be available to the entire
scientific community and is expected to make an additional contribution
to scientific research of sound waves in the atmosphere and earthquakes.
In
the last few years, the Geophysical Institute has created several
earthquake simulations in order to calibrate its equipment. In June
2004, the institute detonated 32 tons of explosives in the southern
Negev. In June 2005, the institute detonated 20 tons in the Beit Alfa
quarries in the Jezreel Valley south of the Galilee. The success of the
experiments has significantly contributed to improving the accuracy of
identifying earthquakes in Israel.
The Ministry of National
Infrastructure and Finance Ministry have recently financed a three-year
plan to upgrade Israel’s seismological equipment, as part of Israel’s
earthquake advance warning system.
Source > IsraelNN.com
