Ireland’s first underground seismic station has been installed at Mitchelstown Cave.
Earthquakes around the world will now be detected from Mitchelstown Cave, thanks to the installation of a new seismic station 60 metres underground by the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.
The station at Mitchelstown Cave is one of nine seismic stations in Ireland but is the first to be installed underground.
Mitchelstown Cave was chosen as a site for installing a permanent seismic station due to its location within the quiet Galtee-Vee valley, where the station is protected from seismic noise sources such as wind, rain and heavy road traffic.
Since its installation in May, the station has already detected earthquakes as far away as southern Peru and the Fiji Islands.
Scientists say most people think there are no earthquakes in Ireland but there are actually smaller earthquakes happening all the time.
Using the location deep underground within the quiet Galtee-Vee valley provides scientists with a unique opportunity to collect high quality data that is not adversely affected by human activity such as building sites and road and rail traffic.
The caves are owned by local man John English.
