Drop in noise pollution means a data boom for earthquake scientists

For earthquake scientists, having hundreds of millions of people off the streets and out of the skies is providing a bonanza of data about the planet. All those planes, trains and automobiles that aren't running because of stay-home policies meant to fight the spread of COVID-19 have cut noise pollution in some cities by more than half, allowing seismologists to record sounds from inside Earth they never could before.Newsletter sign-up: Get The COVID-19 Brief sent to your inboxJohn Cassidy, an e