'Wave of silence' spread around world during coronavirus pandemic Seismologists said high frequency
From https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/jul/23/wave-of-silence-spread-around-world-during-coronavirus-pandemic
'Wave of silence' spread around world during coronavirus pandemic
Seismologists said high frequency noise fell as much as 50% as planes were grounded and roads emptied
Ian Sample Science editor
Thu 23 Jul 2020 14.00 EDT | Last modified on Fri 24 Jul 2020 06.25 EDT
An unprecedented wave of silence spread around the world in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, according to researchers who found that vibrations from human activity slumped under national lockdowns.
Records from seismic stations all over the planet show that high frequency noise caused by industrial plants, traffic and other activities fell as much as 50% as country after country imposed restrictions that grounded planes, emptied roads and brought down the shutters on shops and businesses.
You can almost see it as a wave, said Stephen Hicks, a seismologist who worked on the study at Imperial College, London. You can see the seismic quietening spread over time, starting in China in late January and then moving on to Italy and beyond in March and April.
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