yeah, drilled a water well and came up dry and now i have this ~300’ very expensive hole and i’d like to do something with it. i’m on an island in the pacific northwest. drilling began ~150’ above sea level.
seismographs in wells? something to consider? stupid idea? suggestions?
thanks!
Hello kenb, and welcome to the community!
A seismograph all the way down there would be an amazing placement, with very little ambient noise! You could be able to detect faint movements from very small local quakes, or very distant events.
The only caveat, so to speak, is that you would have to put the entire Raspberry Shake ensemble (I would advise for an outdoor enclosure) at the bottom of the well, as cables that long between the sensors and the electronic boards would create issues.
Is that a possibility for you? How large is the well you’ve drilled?
To your knowledge, is the area where the well is located an active earthquake area, or are there not too many events during the year?
With your answers, we can discuss more about the best model you require.
sorry for the delay. i’m checking with the well company on the diameter of the bore to the bottom. once i know that we can see what will fit, or can be made to fit (i can make a custom case). can the infrasound sensor be suspended? power would have to flow down via a cable. how would that effect the unit. it wouldn’t move once everything is closed back up and it settles out.
thanks!
No problem kenb, let us know!
Regarding your query, you can extend the tubing that leads to the infrasound sensor in a way that you can find here in our manual: Raspberry Boom (RBOOM/ RS&BOOM) Infrasound Monitors
This should allow you to position the infrasound tubing entry “suspended” inside the well. However, the infrasound sensor itself cannot be suspended, as it is directly attached to the instrument’s top Shake board.
Regarding the power cable, the only requirement is that you ensure that the Shake is receiving a stable voltage between 5.0 and 5.2V and a current of at least 2.5A at all times, as a decrease in power could lead to data services interruption.
If you have any other questions, I remain available.
Hey there! 
Using seismographs in wells to monitor seismic activity or groundwater movement is a good idea. You could also repurpose the well for things like geothermal heating or storing rainwater. Let me know if you want more ideas!
