By Sid Perkins
New computer models developed to analyze how seismic vibrations travel through Earth’s crust can also be used to identify and track heavy vehicles such as tanks and trains.
Stig O. Hestholm, a seismologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and his colleague Bent O. Ruud of the University of Bergen in Norway developed new formulations of equations for estimating the effect of hills and valleys on the magnitude of ground motions caused by earthquakes. In their model, the researchers use a large, three-dimensional grid to represent a section of Earth’s crust. They can shape the upper surface of the grid to match any terrain.