Newly published study in Science: Coronavirus lockdown measures reduce human-induced seismic noise

Published on Monday July 27, 2020

Lockdown measures to fight the Covid-19 pandemic have led to a reduction in high-frequency seismic noise up to 50% observed around the world in early to mid 2020, as a newly published study in the journal Science shows. This seismic lockdown represents the longest and most prominent anthropogenic quiet period on record, which may allow seismologists to detect and quantify previously concealed seismic signals from earthquakes or volcanoes.

The study involved 76 seismologists from 66 institutions who analyzed data from over 300 seismic stations worldwide. ECGS contributed with the analysis of seismic data from the Luxembourg Seismic Network as well as the KivuSNet network located in the bordering region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Burundi, operated in collaboration with our local partners in the region.

The study can be found open access here.