IU project uses seismic data from recent storms to take preemptive measures against tornadoes

A recent IU geophysical experiment indicated unusual seismic signals associated with the series of tornadoes that swept across the Midwest last week, according to a press release.

This information might be of importance to meteorologists studying the state of atmospheric activity before a tornado.

More than 100 state-of-the-art digital seismographs were deployed throughout the Midwest. An isolated twister that ravaged southeastern Missouri and southern Illinois on Feb. 29 passed through the system of seismic detection equipment.

“In examining the seismograms, we recorded unusual seismic signals on three of our stations in southern Illinois,” said Michael Hamburger, a professor in the Department of
Geological Sciences.

Hamburger is also one of the researchers conducting the experiment.

“The seismograms show a strong, low-frequency pulse beginning around 4:45 a.m. on Feb. 29,” he said. “Our preliminary interpretation, based on other seismic records of tornadoes, suggests that we were recording not the tornado itself but a large atmospheric pressure transient related to the large thunderstorms that spawned the tornadoes.”

The seismographs that detected the pulse were located near Harrisburg, Ill. The town with a population of 9,000 was subject to extensive damage. Six people were killed, and about 100 more were injured.

The IU seismic experiment has come to be referred to as “OIINK.” The experiment coverage spans from the Ozarks in Missouri to the states Illinois, Indiana
and Kentucky.

One hundred twenty seismometers have been placed and continue to study earthquakes and geological structure. They were installed last summer and monitor and record thousands of earthquakes, as well as nearby mining and quarry explosions.

The project cost $1.3 million and is a part of a four-year development on behalf of the National Science Foundation’s EarthScope program. The program strives to cover the entire U.S. with detection devices.

— Michael Majchrowicz