Researchers from Cardiff University have been busy investigating whether or not underwater sound waves might be helpful in assisting with tsunami warnings.
Researchers say that the AGWs, which are naturally occurring sound waves, travel much faster than the tsunami itself, about 10x faster, and that they can be detected by only a single underwater hydrophone.
Scientists say that from this data, that they would be able to determine information such as:
- the duration of a potential tsunami
- the location
- orientation
- speed
- dimensions
And with every second of extra warning time that people can get, the better chance that there is to try and save lives.
Right now, the warning systems for tsunamis around the world consist of using floating devices that are known as dart buoys (see image above).
These devices are used to measure pressure changes in the ocean. This method also requires a hefty distribution, with many buoys being scattered around the world. And researchers admit that they often aren't able to provide much of an advance warning, as well they're also costly to maintain.
Aside from possibly increasing the warning time, researchers have also previously looked at the possibility of using artifically-generated AGWs to possibly stop a tsunami from potentially reaching land, or if anything mitigate its effects.
Ideally, they suspect that they might be able to fire AGWs at an incoming tsunami in the hopes that it would in-return disrupt the waveforms and eventually reduce the impact and potential destruction. However, researchers say that at this point it's just an idea, we are still quite some time away from seeing this demonstrated in real-time.
Eventually, scientists behind the work say that they want to develop a method for tsunami warnings that could be set off within minutes of the hydrophone station picking-up the sound signals.
Pics:
Pixabay
via news.okezone.com
Sources:
https://newatlas.com/acoustic-gravity-waves-tsunami-warning/53224/
https://newatlas.com/acoustic-gravity-waves-tsunami/47570/
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/01/180124123127.htm
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-real-time-tsunami-early-warning-system-calculates-size-and-distance-using-underwater-sound-waves/
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-42803111