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Thread: OT: What are these marks in the desert?

  1. #1

    OT: What are these marks in the desert?

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

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    From Google Maps here - if you scroll around there are lots of them in the area.

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

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  3. #2
    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

  4. #3
    Ran into one one time out by dead horse point. Pretty impressive when they drop it.

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  5. #4
    Makes sense, thanks!

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

  6. #5
    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?


  7. #6
    Bogley BigShot oldno7's Avatar
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    Nope---that is mountain terracing for erosion control, completed by the CCC
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  8. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by oldno7 View Post
    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/9...RY.html?pg=all

  9. #8
    Definitely not Nazca Lines.

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