It might be imperceptible to human ears, but the Earth is constantly emitting a low, steady hum.
This continuous vibration, detectable only by sensitive seismometers, is part of the planet’s natural background noise.
Most of the time, it’s faint and unremarkable. But in December 2014, something unusual happened—Japan’s advanced seismic network picked up an intensified hum.
And the source? A violent ‘weather bomb’ storm raging off the coast of Greenland, nearly 10,000 kilometers away.
This discovery is not just a fascinating quirk of nature—it could offer new ways to study the inner workings of our planet.
Scientists are now exploring how distant storms influence seismic activity, offering insights into Earth’s internal structure in places where earthquakes are rare.
But before we dive into the implications, let’s clear up a common misconception: this was not an earthquake.
Can a Storm Really Shake the Earth?
At first glance, the idea seems improbable. Earthquakes are typically associated with the shifting and grinding of tectonic plates—not the chaotic swirl of a storm in the Atlantic.
Yet, researchers Kiwamu Nishida and Ryota Takagi found that the ‘hum’ recorded in Japan on December 9-11, 2014, originated from violent ocean waves pounding Greenland’s shallow seafloor.
These weren’t ordinary waves. The storm’s rapid drop in atmospheric pressure—a phenomenon known as a ‘weather bomb’—amplified the ocean’s energy.
As massive waves crashed onto the seafloor, they generated pressure waves that resonated between the ocean’s surface and the seabed.
This energy transferred into the Earth’s crust, creating a subtle but detectable vibration that traveled across the globe to Japan.
Importantly, this wasn’t a sudden, destructive quake. It was a prolonged, intensified version of the Earth’s usual hum.
But if a storm can shake the ground, does this mean storms can cause earthquakes?
Challenging the Earthquake Assumption
The idea that storms could trigger earthquakes is a tempting one—but it’s not quite accurate.
Unlike these storm-induced tremors, earthquakes result from the built-up stress along fault lines suddenly releasing, sending seismic waves through the crust.
The energy required for such a rupture is far greater than anything an ocean storm can produce.
Tectonic earthquakes typically occur at the boundaries of the Earth’s plates, where immense geological forces are at play.
But they can also strike in unexpected places, such as Kent, England, which experienced a magnitude 4.2 earthquake in 2015 due to ancient fault movements.
Human activity can also shake the ground. Coal mining, geothermal energy extraction, and fracking have all been linked to artificial tremors.
In 2011, a fracking operation beneath Morecambe Bay in the UK triggered a magnitude 2.3 earthquake.
Similar cases have been documented in Oklahoma, where wastewater injection from gas extraction has led to an increase in small quakes.
So, while a storm can’t trigger a true earthquake, it can amplify the Earth’s hum. And that has some surprising benefits.
How Storm Vibrations Could Unlock Earth’s Secrets
Scientists have long used earthquake waves to study the composition of the Earth’s interior.
Seismic waves travel at different speeds depending on the density and type of rock they pass through, allowing researchers to map hidden structures beneath the surface.
But there’s a catch: earthquakes don’t happen everywhere.
The 2014 Greenland storm offered a unique opportunity.
Since this region rarely experiences earthquakes, scientists realized they could use the vibrations from storms as an alternative way to analyze the Earth’s subsurface.
Isolating signals from storms could allow researchers to investigate areas where natural seismic activity is scarce.
This technique could also help us monitor climate change.
As extreme weather events become more frequent and intense, studying their impact on Earth’s vibrations may offer new ways to track oceanic and atmospheric shifts.
The Earth’s Hum Holds More Clues Than We Realized
The discovery that a storm in Greenland could be detected in Japan highlights just how interconnected our planet is.
While the Earth’s hum has long been dismissed as background noise, it turns out that these vibrations could provide valuable scientific insights.
As researchers continue to refine their methods, we may soon be able to use storm-induced tremors to probe deep into the Earth’s structure—offering a new perspective on both our planet’s geology and the growing impact of climate change.
So, the next time you hear about a powerful storm brewing across the ocean, remember: it’s not just making waves in the atmosphere—it’s making the Earth hum a little louder.
