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Seismic activity in one location often has effects on other locations, as certain seismic waves travel over great distances. What’s more unusual is when this sort of seismic wave travels the world without a precipitating seismic event.
On November 11, 2018, seismic waves originating off the coast of Mayotte, a tiny island between Mozambique and Madagascar, rang in locations across the globe. And while the area around Mayotte had recorded a number of lower powered earthquakes about six months earlier, the seismic activity had died down prior to November. Additionally, there was no earthquake recorded that day.
Scientists have been examining the data about this event and the strange world-wide seismic waves produced since then. The best theory is that there was some sort of seismic event below the water, and the unique geological structure of the area only allowed a portion of the seismic wave to escape, which correlates to why it was not felt but rather “heard” by tracking stations across the globe.
Research into this event will continue. You can read more about it here!
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