Seismometers help us to see

While they cannot be observed directly, the processes under way inside the glacier can be recorded indirectly with the aid of seismometers. Seismometers on or near the glacier enable scientists to “listen in” on the glacier. In the glacier diagram below, the waveforms of icequakes from the various areas of the glacier can be explored by clicking on the writing. The frequency, location, and form of these icequakes are analyzed in scientific studies, the results of which help to shed light on the inner workings and the development of a glacier. The following processes are responsible for causing icequakes: crevasse formation, water runoff (through “moulins” to the glacier bed), sliding of the glacier along the glacier bed, calving (the breaking off of an iceberg into a lake or into the sea).

Explore the glacier by clicking on the black writing: