A Kinemetrics EpiSensor Model FBA ES-T accelerometer is seen in the opened earth shaft of a seismic station of the Swiss Seismological Service (SED) at ETH Zurich in Switzerland January 14, 2021. Picture taken January 14, 2021. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann
ZURICH (Reuters) - Earth had its quietest period in decades during 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic significantly reduced human activity and its impact on the planet's crust, according to scientists working on a global study.
An international group of seismologists from 33 countries measured a drop of up to 50% in so-called ambient noise generated by humans travelling and factories humming after lockdowns came into force around the world.
