With storms, hurricanes and avalanches roaring, Earth
can be an extremely noisy place. But while there is a
whole range of sounds that people can hear, there are
also Earth sounds that are too low for the human ear to
pick up. These silent sounds, known as infrasound, have
become ___1___ of
interest to some scientists. These scientists are using
special ___2___ to
eavesdrop on infrasound created by the world around us.
The noisemakers include volcanoes, tsunamis, and even
the turbulence that shakes airplanes. Scientists
initially started studying infrasound to make sure
certain countries were not testing nuclear bombs. Now,
they are using infrasound to ___3___
natural events. one of these infrasound sources is a
gigantic wave called a tsunami. Scientists have recently
set up a tsunami infrasound project in Hawaii in the
hopes of learning how the giant waves produce
infrasound, which is still a mystery.
Other scientists are also using infrasound to listen
in on volcanoes. Scientists are hoping to use infrasound
patterns as a warning tool if a nearby volcano is about
to ___4___ .
Detecting volcanic eruptions with infrasound would also
be a useful tool for airplane pilots, because ash from
an erupting volcano can cause dangerous ___5___
to a plane's engines. |