Wave-thumping ‘weather bomb’ storms send elusive S waves through Earth

High-tech detectors can now pick up weak tremors, help probe planet’s depths

Scotland storm

WEATHER BOMB  A Japanese seismic network detected a rare type of deep-Earth tremor originating from a swirling North Atlantic storm (seen here slamming Scotland’s coast) in December 2014.

Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

How the seafloor quivers under an intense storm called a “weather bomb” could help reveal Earth’s innermost secrets.