Scientists listen to Earth with a seismograph. KNMI also uses them. With this vibration meter they register earthquakes, movements of volcanoes and water, but also the noise we cause. It ensures an ever-present noise.
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An analysis in the scientific journal Science shows that the noise worldwide decreased by up to 50 percent in the period from March to May. The silence started in China at the end of January, then was measured in Italy and so on all over the world. The main differences were measured in densely populated cities, such as New York and Singapore. However, the earth also vibrated less in sparsely populated areas, such as in the north of Namibia or the German Black Forest.
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The Netherlands is also quieter
The researchers used data from 268 measuring stations in 117 countries, including a station in Alkmaar. After the first corona measures in our country, the Netherlands was also on March 12, a lot quieter. KNMI wrote at the beginning of April even though the noise had decreased by about 45 percent. That effect continued afterwards, in our country and far beyond.
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Normally there are small differences in noise during day and night and holiday periods, but the corona lockdowns created a unique silence. “This year’s silence period is the longest and most prominent global noise reduction ever recorded,” write the researchers in Science.
A huge advantage for researchers who listen to Earth. The lockdowns allowed them to better measure the Earth’s natural vibrations. Earthquakes, volcanoes and other sounds of the Earth are easier to hear when people hold still. “It made it clearer than ever what differentiates human and natural noise,” said Stephen Hicks, a seismologist at Imperial College, London.
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