CO.VID-19 Lockdown Has Changed The Way Our Planet Moves

Aadhya Khatri - Apr 01, 2020

As people spend less time outside of their homes, as a result of a lockdown order; our planet seems to move a little less than usual

As COVID-19 spreading and wreaking havoc all over the world, lockdown and isolation seem like the two most common measures governments all over the world are employing to contain the virus.

However, as people spend less time outside of their homes; our own planet seems to move a little less than usual.

Scientists dedicated to studying the movement of Earth have reported a drop in the level of seismic noise, our planet crust’s hum of vibrations. They said that this could possibly the result of the reduction of human activities.

lockdown earth move — At this point, the effect of lockdown proves to be positive for detectors, which find it easier to detect small earthquakes and volcanic activities

At this point, the effect of lockdown proves to be positive for detectors, which find it easier to detect small earthquakes and volcanic activities.

According to Thomas Lecocq, a seismologist working at the Royal Observatory of Belgium, this kind of effect is often observed around Christmas.

While individual human activity seems to generate just a small amount of noise, their combination creates background noise that prevents seismologists from hearing exactly other signals.

The lockdown in many countries has helped to boost the sensitivity of the sensors in detecting sounds at the same frequencies with noises.

When India enters a 21-day complete lockdown, the purpose is to reduce the infection of the novel Coronavirus. However, at the same time, putting a country of over 1.3 billion people in their homes also has a favorable effect on the pollution level of the nation.

Aqi

Data show that big cities now have a lower concentration of harmful compounds released by factories and vehicles in the air. PM 2.5, microscopic particulate matter can penetrate deep into humans’ lungs and other organs and cause severe health conditions, has also seen a reduction in level.

Of the 30 most polluted cities in the world, India has 21 and this currently running lockdown has rendered it possible for citizens of some cities to see a blue sky and breathe easier.