Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Scattering And Absorption of Light in Planetary Regoliths
Published on: July 1, 2019
Observations of random walk of the ground in space and time
1Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, P.O. Box 500, Batavia, Illinois 60510, USA.
Abstract:
We present results of micron-resolution measurements of the ground motions in large particle accelerators over the range of spatial scales L from several meters to tens of kilometers and time intervals T from minutes to several years and show that in addition to systematic changes due to tides or slow drifts, there is a stochastic component which has a "random-walk" character both in time and in space. The measured mean square of the relative displacement of ground elements scales as dY2≈ATL over a broad range of the intervals, and the site dependent constant A is of the order of 10(-5±1) (μm2/s)/m.
Related Concept Videos
Random Error
Real-World Applications of Space Curves
Space-Time Curvature and the General Theory of Relativity
This has been verified in many experiments. However, space and time are no longer absolute. Two observers moving relative to one another do not agree on the length of objects or the passage of time. The mechanics of objects based on Newton's laws of motion,...
Variation in Acceleration due to Gravity near the Earth's Surface
The difference between the true and apparent weights is proportional to the square of the Earth's angular speed. Since the...
Measuring Acceleration Due to Gravity
A simple pendulum can be described as a point mass and a string. Meanwhile, a physical pendulum is any object whose oscillations are similar to a simple pendulum, but cannot be modeled as a point mass on a string because its mass is distributed over a larger area. The behavior of a physical pendulum can be modeled using the principles of...
Non-uniform Circular Motion
For example, such accelerations...

