Shear waves sound good in hunt for oil and gas

Vibrations in the form of compressed or primary (P) waves are sent into the earth in an effort to locate oil and gas deposits. Shear (S) waves, which do not travel in fluids, and P-waves have unique properties for each layer of underground rocks that allow geophysicists to locate harder-to-find deposits. Vibrators on trucks are used for seismic mapping of an area by the research team and to determine how deeply shear waves can return information. Some problems have developed because of the high winds in the Texas research area, but mapping has continued on a daily basis since it began in January.