Scientists want to study the smell of radiation in the ocean to predict tsunami

Researchers explained that recent volcanic eruptions in St. Vincent and Iceland did not lead to deaths

people because they were predicted in advance.However, underwater seismic activity, which can cause tsunamis that destroy coastal areas, is much more difficult to predict earlier. Now scientists at the University of Athens are developing underwater radiation detection drones, which they believe could help create an early warning system for tsunamis.

It is known that on land there is increased seismicactivity releases small amounts of radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas, into the soil in the days before an earthquake. Therefore, detecting a burst of radioactivity on the seafloor could help predict underwater earthquakes. However, as in many areas of ocean science, we have little to no idea what is happening to the radioactivity on the seafloor, and to detect a burst of radioactivity we need to have baseline data.

Due to plate movements, the floor of the Pacific Ocean is now deep under China

Measuring anything on the seabed is very difficult.Scientists noted that electronics do not like water, which is a complex place where high pressure and other forces such as waves and currents persist. Seismographs are less reliable underwater, where vibrations from sea waves and winds can drown out vibrations from incipient earthquakes.

This task will be solved by the drone RAMONES(RadioActivity Monitoring in Ocean EcoSystems). However, the radioactivity sensors are designed for relatively quiet operation on land, so the RAMONES team has to redesign them to work in the seabed. So scientists can find thin layers of cesium-137, which is released from the earth's crust during underwater drilling of oil wells.

“The situation at sea is not fully known, sincethere is a lot of legacy waste, but no monitoring has been carried out. ” The team hopes that their drones will be able to help coastal communities and environmental monitoring groups better monitor this situation, ”the scientists noted.

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