Earth’s “26-second pulse”: a faint seismic rhythm detected in global data

Scientists have found a weak repeating signal in Earth’s background noise that occurs roughly every 26 seconds by studying long-term seismic and satellite data.

That faint “microseismic” throb was first detected back in the 1960s. Humans can’t feel it, but sensitive devices around the globe pick it up all the time.

Its main explanation is related to the interaction between ocean wave energy and the seafloor, particularly in the region of the Gulf of Guinea. As waves crash into each other, constantly interfering with each other, they create pressure variations that travel through the Earth and are recorded as a rhythmic signal.

Some studies look at other factors that may contribute to the activity, like local geological or volcanic activity, but the ocean-wave interaction is the most accepted source.

It’s often called the “heartbeat” of the Earth, but it’s more like a constant background vibration of our planet, not a literal biological rhythm.