Thunder-induced seismic waves offer a new way to image the shallow subsurface

Lightning strikes generate seismic vibrations in the ground, known as thunderquakes, which have now been harnessed for subsurface imaging. Researchers converted a 4-kilometer fiber-optic cable into thousands of vibration sensors and recorded 458 clear thunderquakes over two years. The technique could help map groundwater, contamination, sinkholes, or evaluate building sites, similar to how X-rays image the human body.