Hoodoos may be seismic gurus Hoodoo prediction Towering chimney-
like sedimentary rock spires known as hoodoos may provide an
indication of an area's past earthquake activity. The research
by scientists including Dr Rasool Anooshehpoor, from the United
States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, may provide scientists
with a new tool to test the accuracy of current hazard models.
Hoodoo formations are often found in desert regions, and are
common in North America, the Middle East and northern Africa.
They are caused by the uneven weathering of different layers of
sedimentary rocks, that leave boulders or thin caps of hard rock
perched on softer rock. By knowing the strengths of different
types of sedimentary layers, scientists can determine the amount
of stress needed to cause those rocks to fracture. The United
States Geological Survey (USGS) use seismic hazard models to
predict the type of ground motion likely to occur in an area
during a seismic event. But, according to Anooshehpoor, these
models lack long term d