Israel Makes Waves by Simulating an Earthquake The Seismologic
Division of the Ministry of National Infrastructure's
Geophysical Institute will attempt to simulate an earthquake in
the southern Negev on Thursday. The experiment, financed by the
U.S. Defense Department, is a joint project with the University
of Hawaii and is part of a scientific project intended to
improve seismological and acoustic readings in Israel and its
environs, up to a 1,000 km/621 mile radius. The experiment
intends to improve the understanding of sound waves in the
atmosphere. Scientists will then be able to fine-tune Israel’s
seismological equipment to give advance warning of earthquakes.
Measurements will also be taken in other countries, including
Cyprus, Greece, France, and Germany. Israel will create a
controlled explosion of 80 tons of explosive material, which
will simulate the intensity of a tremor after an earthquake of
Magnitude 3. Natural earthquakes of a similar intensity occur in
the Middle East region about once a week,