Seismic waves bouncing off Earth's core can move countries
A massive earthquake in Japan sent energy 2,900 kilometers down to the planet's center, reflecting back to shift the entire nation several millimeters east.
When a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck Japan in 2011, it did more than just shake the surface. It sent a specific type of energy, known as an S wave, plunging through the Earth's rocky mantle. This wave traveled 2,900 kilometers deep until it hit the boundary of the planet's core, where it bounced like a ball hitting a wall and headed back toward the surface.
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