Quantum Shift

Realtime seismic imaging may seem like science fiction, but Mrinal Sen has other ideas. Realtime seismic imaging may seem like science fiction, but Mrinal Sen has other ideas. magine this: It’s 2035 and the U.S.’s new national science ship is on a mission to investigate signs that a massive earthquake is about to hit the Pacific Northwest. Below deck, gigabytes of data from a dozen sensors pour into the vessel’s quantum computer. On the science deck, a 3D image of Earth’s subsurface instantly reveals the fault and its surrounding geology. The scientists instruct the crew to bring the ship closer to a region of high tectonic strain. They quickly conclude it’s a false alarm: A seafloor bulge detected by early warning satellites was just a passing slow tremor, nature’s safety valve alleviating the tug of war between tectonic plates. The science vessel turns to its next mission. In Galveston, Texas, a drilling ship is being fitted to tap geologic hydrogen. The quantum science vessel will sail ahead and find the undiscovered reservoirs. Back in the…