OT: What are these marks in the desert?

[breischl]

Anybody know what the groups of straight lines perpendicular to the road are?

84993

From Google Maps here (https://goo.gl/maps/Q4v7f94rtS52) - if you scroll around there are lots of them in the area.

Doesn't really matter, I'm just curious.

[Iceaxe]

I'm guessing they are part of a "thumper truck seismic survey", which is how they look for oil among other things.

A thumper truck is a vehicle-mounted ground impact system which can be used to provide a seismic source. A heavy weight is raised by a hoist on a truck and dropped, generally about three meters, to impact (or "thump") the ground. To augment the signal, the weight is usually dropped numerous times in a known pattern to enhance the seismic signal by spatial filtering.

Thumping replaced firing explosives in a shot hole in the 1950's. Thumping is considered less damaging to the environment than firing explosives. But the down side is the thumped seismic line creates long-lasting disturbance of the soil.


Thumper Truck
http://wyofile.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/thumper-truck02.jpg

[moab mark]

Ran into one one time out by dead horse point. Pretty impressive when they drop it.

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[breischl]

Makes sense, thanks!

So that's the "Universal Vibrator" huh... wonder who came up with that name. :)

[Sombeech]

Interesting. I was wondering what causes lines like these near some of the mountain peaks. Take one of my videos here, at the 35 second mark. Are these similar?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ee7HBN8929I

[oldno7]

Nope---that is mountain terracing for erosion control, completed by the CCC

[Iceaxe]

Nope---that is mountain terracing for erosion control, completed by the CCC

^^^THIS^^^

More info here if you are interested
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/97213/WATERSHED-TERRACES-BUILT-BY-THE-CCC-STILL-KEEP-DAVIS-AREA-DRY.html?pg=all

[Brit Beermonster]

Definitely not Nazca Lines.