Could 3-D Seismic Exploration Techniques Find Osama?

11/1/01 | Doctor Freeze

[Doctor Freeze]

Not sure if this idea would work, but couldn't you use seismic exploration equipment used by oil companies to help find Osama and the Taliban underground?

3-D seismic technology involves energy waves that are generated near the earth’s surface by detonation of an explosive charge. The energy travels through the earth to a subsurface target, where it is reflected back to the surface to be recorded on a grid of receivers. The recorded energy waves are then computer-analyzed to identify potential petroleum reserves. I think this is based on the doppler effect and radar waves.

We would have to find a way to safely drop the receivers. Any thoughts?

[Reelect President Dubya]

I think seismic data gathered via a few dozen megatons would work just fine. No need to find him after that, though.

[conserv13]

I think that this system uses very large, slow moving vehicles that would be easy targets.

[Reelect President Dubya]

I think we should just run Afghanistan through a huge MRI machine. We could find O'Sammy in no time.

[MindBender26]

My idea"

Take one of the nucs we bought from Ukraine, Belorussia, Georgia, etc.

Place deep in Afgani cave via Ranger team

"Light fise" and depart area ASAP.

When it goes off, radioactive residue will clearly prove that it was former USSR bonb that Ossama obviously purchased and went off when he was "f"ing with it........

Shock waves would drop every cave for dozens of miles

[mvscal]

Or we could just wait for winter and look for the plumes of hot air venting up from any underground bunkers.

[the Wayne]

Actually, I'm trying to suggest such an idea to the DoD, but can't figure out how. Their web site where we're supposed to suggest things is really a bid site for submitting bids, not suggesting ideas

I think I have the answers for some of the "big slow trucks" problem. The system would work automatically and not require anything special other than dropping devices from planes.

Of course, I know nothing about the actual techniques, so my idea may be just cockeyed. I've heard that it is hard to use such techniques to find caves since they're the absence of something, not the presence of something -- such as oil.

[El Gato]

The systems do use large slow moving vehicles, but that is just because it's cheaper that way. If you could implace your seismic sensors and the explosives (used instead of a thumper truck) some other way, the sensors could send their measurements back over a radio link, something similiar, but advanced over, the "Igloo White" sensors used in Vietnam. Then you process the stuff non real time, just like they do the oil bidness, and there you go, a 3-D map of Bin Losing's cave complexes. Or you could use a big helio (several actually) and chopper in the thumper truck and the seismic sesnor array. Probaby take longer, and you'd be fighting off the ants from the anthill you'd stirred up, but it could be done w/o a bunch of new developement.

BTW

No radar or Doppler effect involved. It's sound waves, and nothing is moving, other than the sound itself, so no doppler effect.

[Frohickey]

I say that we seed every single rain cloud that goes over Afghanistan this winter.

[eno_]

Don't bother. Recon sats have ground-penetrating radar.

[El Gato]

Don't bother. Recon sats have ground-penetrating radar

While not privy to exactly what Recon sats have or do not have, so I can speculate, I very much doubt it. Yes they can "see" subsurface features, but except in special cases, the stuff under the sand in Egypt for instance, those are due to surface effects of subsurface features, "seeing deep ocean bottom features is an example of this. Most radar does a lousy job of penetrating earth or salt water. GPRs do exist, but they are usualy places inches above the surface, not 90 miles.