Tremor-like sound: Electrical resistivity study under way in house in Kozhikode

Team examining conductivity of soil around home

Electrical resistivity study is being undertaken in a house in Kuruvattur Grama Panchayat in Kozhikode district from where a tremor-like sound is being heard for the past three weeks.

The study is being led by Bipin Peethambaran of the Centre for Earth Science Studies, Thiruvananthapuram. Earlier, another team led by retired scientist G. Sankar had come to a conclusion that soil piping, the formation of underground tunnels due to subsurface soil erosion, could have led to the strange sound from the house of Thekke Marath Biju, near Poloor in Kuruvattur. The team had also sought a detailed survey, saying that land mining or the pressure from rocks beneath the surface could also be reasons. There are, however, no quarries within a two-km radius of this house. Fire force personnel and officials from the Department of Geology too had sought detailed studies to uncover the phenomenon. The residents claim that the intensity of the sound has been rising for the past few days.

Now, the electrical resistivity study is done to determine the conductivity of the soil. Conductivity is the measure of a material’s ability to pass electric current. For this, current is induced in the soil using two electrodes. The electrical potential drop is then read using two other electrodes. The study is being done at four places around the house. It is expected to continue on Friday as well.