Surveying Earth's interior with atomic clocks
Monday, November 12, 2012 - 11:31
in Astronomy & Space
Have you ever thought to use a clock to identify mineral deposits or concealed water resources within the Earth? Some scientists are convinced that ultraprecise portable atomic clocks will make this a reality in the next decade. The scientists argue that these atomic clocks have already reached the necessary degree of precision to be useful for geophysical surveying. They say that such clocks will provide the most direct measurement of the geoid – the Earth’s true physical form. It will also be possible to combine atomic clocks measurements to existent geophysical methods to explore the interior of the Earth.