The truck is Known for its many capabilities, be it towing heavy loads, off-road driving, or various utility features. Now, you can add another impressive ability to the list. Oh too big In Texas, a truck called “T-Rex” can create artificial earthquakes.
A large mobile shaker truck was used for earthquake research at the University of Texas.
Texas is Not a state where major earthquakes usually occur. The largest in recorded history was in Valentine, Texas in 1931, and measured about 6.0 on the Richter scale. Compared to earthquake-prone California, earthquakes in Texas are much smaller and less frequent.
in return of this, The scientists The University of Texas turned to an unusual source to study shocks: a giant truck. The truck’s official name is the Large Mobile Shaker, but Texas scientists affectionately call it the “T-Rex.”
As in the description. Carscoopsthe big truck got its name from a scene Jurassic Park. In the film, as the Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaur approaches, its quick footsteps create ripples in a glass of water. Similarly, the T-Rex truck pounds the ground and causes it to shake.
The T-Rex truck can deliver 60,000 pounds of force to the ground.
Like a real earthquake, the T-Rex truck is one Which should be taken into account., as it delivers up to 27 metric tons (about 60,000 pounds) of impact to the ground at a rate of 30 times per second. Which will surely wake up the neighbors. In addition, large mobile shakers have three modes of impact: vertical, horizontal, and transverse.
Tom Scott, who filmed the T-Rex at the University of Texas, said, “For the lower settings, it feels like a little earthquake moving the ground underfoot, making everything a little bit Feels uneven.” However, this is the highest level scientists can use on campus.
Also, as learned from the previous incident, scientists must be careful not to overestimate the effects of a large mobile shaker. When a T-rex accidentally flew too high on the UCLA campus, the impact on the ground was so strong that students ran out of a nearby building, said University of Texas professor Ken Stokoe. Afraid of Thinking that there really is an earthquake. “It got us in trouble,” Stocco said.
In addition to creating an artificial earthquake by pushing the ground, the large mobile shaker truck can bury sensors underground. This enables Texas scientists to measure how power waves travel through the Earth. With this capability, scientists can study how well the ground will stand up to the force of an earthquake at a given location. This is very useful information when constructing buildings, such as power plants, where design is important.
Recently, a University of Texas earthquake team went to Wyoming to study how earthquakes might affect new power plants in the state. Along with providing useful information for new power plants, the T-Rex truck saved them. money – Because they could examine different things without digging holes in the ground.
“We can estimate the hardness profile up to half a mile without a borehole. That’s a real breakthrough and very, very low-cost addition to the plant design,” Stokoe said.