Seismic Sensors on Scadrial?

[Quantus]

This was an off-hand statement about cave detection in the sample chapters, but as an Instrumentation/sensor engineer it got me thinking about the actual technology needed.  It's in my professional wheelhouse, so Im very interested if anyone has insight.

Calling all Geologists:  When exactly did the technology to detect actual caves and/or voids using "Seismic" sensors emerge.  I know it had to exist in at least limited range as early as the Jurassic Park films, and some quick research shows significant research being done as early as WWII and limited success in the 70's.  But as far as I can tell, in the technologic equivalent of Era2 Scadrial our Seismic sensors were limited top earthquake detection.  

Am I wrong about the RL history of that technology?  Or is this an instance of Scadrial having a cultural focus on Siesmology the way they do on Metalurgy?  Or might their sensors be based in the Metallic Arts?

 

EDIT: Not sure if this really needs to be in the Spoiler section, so I figured better safe than sorry.  

Edited September 27, 2022 by Quantus

[Frustration]

That's an interesting observation. I'd assume that being able to find caves would be beneficial for them as it enables them to more easily find metal deposits. So I'd say that it's one of the areas that Scadrial simply developed quickly.

[+Oltux72]

On 27.9.2022 at 11:33 PM, Quantus said:

 in the technologic equivalent of Era2 Scadrial our Seismic sensors were limited top earthquake detection.  

The Basin is likely seismically stable. Hence our incentive to concentrate on quakes and volcanoes drops away. They do, however, face one natural hazard: fog. To concentrate on sonar to overcome that is a possibility.

On 27.9.2022 at 11:33 PM, Quantus said:

Am I wrong about the RL history of that technology?  Or is this an instance of Scadrial having a cultural focus on Siesmology the way they do on Metalurgy?  Or might their sensors be based in the Metallic Arts?

Based on probably not. Triggered by? Tineyes are likely to also be sensitive to vibrations of the ground.

 

[Yumiya]

On 9/27/2022 at 5:33 PM, Quantus said:

When exactly did the technology to detect actual caves and/or voids using "Seismic" sensors emerge. 

On 10/18/2022 at 6:57 AM, Oltux72 said:

Tineyes are likely to also be sensitive to vibrations of the ground.

Coinshots and Lurchers are more likely to be able to detect caves by looking for absences of trace metals in the earth. Or maybe in conjunction with a seismograph, map the vibrations of metals in the earth and notice the lack?

Though if we want to go RL, reflection seismology was developed in 1914 with a mechanical seismograph to detect salt domes and hence oil fields (Wikipedia has a decent article on it) . Microgravity surveys came a couple of decades later (cool article if that is your wheel house link). All in all, scientists are still researching the best way to locate caverns. 

[Quantus]

13 hours ago, Yumiya said:

Though if we want to go RL, reflection seismology was developed in 1914 with a mechanical seismograph to detect salt domes and hence oil fields (Wikipedia has a decent article on it) . Microgravity surveys came a couple of decades later (cool article if that is your wheel house link). All in all, scientists are still researching the best way to locate caverns. 

This makes me feel a lot better thanks!  My research had focused on Cave-finding specifically, but that technology was focused on finding bunkers and small caves for military purposes in WW2 and later. The issue there is that it wasn't Siesmic/Acoustic, it required Radio Wave technology and radar-style displays (though you can do a whole lot with just a needle and a sweeping motion on the sensor, it doesnt need to be a literal TV).  That's a side of Science Scadrial (or at least the north) is specifically deficient in, which is what made me question it in the first place.  

But they definitely have dynamite and could be doing this level of reflection seismology.  The normal sensor transducer is basically just a special microphone, so either Tin variant could probably hear or feel the reaction on their own. They could play receiver themselves or just prompt science to replicate/detect what they say they can hear.  The rest is a lot of repeated explosions and even more Math.