Deflecting Earthquakes with Acoustic Waves

Apr-10-14 Researchers are investigating ways to make objects 'invisible' to earthquakes by applying some of the same principles involved in the light-bending cloaking technique used to render objects invisible.

The cloaking technique works by bending light of specific frequencies around the object meant to be hidden. Based on this premise, the team proposed the idea of drilling a precisely tuned system of boreholes around an earthquake-prone city (or vital building like a power plant or hospital). In theory, the boreholes would resonate at the same frequencies common to earthquakes, lessening the vibrations of the quake and helping to protect the structures.

The team tested their theory on a demo using acoustic waves in soil, and proved that the idea is sound. The next step is to determine how to divert the deflected quake energy to an area less susceptible to damage.

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[DVICE.COM]
[SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN]

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