<p>In November 2008 <a href="https://www.geographyrealm.com/measuring-the-neutrino-tomography-of-earth/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">neutrino tomography was used to measure Earth's mass</a>. <a href="https://arxiv.org/pdf/1803.05901.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">A paper</a> was published in journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41567-018-0319-1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Nature</a>. The data was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IceCube_Neutrino_Observatory" rel="nofollow noreferrer">captured by the South Pole’s</a> <a href="https://icecube.wisc.edu/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">IceCube Neutrino Observatory</a>.</p>

<p>In November 2013 IceCube announced it had discovered 28 neutrinos that likely originated outside the Solar System.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>The neutrinos that the IceCube detector had “caught” came from different angles because they probed different layers of Earth. By measuring how many neutrinos came from different angles, the scientific team was able to measure the densities of various Earth’s segments, and from that – the total mass of Earth.</p>
  
  <p>The neutrino tomography confirmed the traditional measurements on Earth’s mass, based on gravitational calculations and seismological data. That is especially interesting because neutrino tomography is a conceptually different and independent method – it doesn’t rely on gravity, but purely on weak interactions and the nucleon masses.</p>
  
  <p>While nothing new was discovered, the fact that a new technique has proven the old calculation right is exciting in its own terms.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Also, from the <a href="https://www.ub.edu/web/ub/en/menu_eines/noticies/2018/11/009.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">University of Barcelona</a>. </p>

<p>In 2006 there was a proposal with Harvard University to establish a network of ten detectors to enable <a href="https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2006EM%26P...99..193D/abstract" rel="nofollow noreferrer">tomography of the Earth via antineutrinos</a>.</p>

<p>Not related to the question, but interesting. CERN has a proposal to <a href="http://cms.cern/content/homeland-security" rel="nofollow noreferrer">detect nuclear contraband using cosmic ray muon tomography</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-16T02:08:07.200Z
Wow, thank you for such a speedy yet well-sourced answer!
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-16T01:51:46.500Z
2020-04-16T02:17:09.243Z
2020-04-16T02:17:09.243Z
Fred
<p>By looking at the attenuation of cosmic ray muons passing through pyramids as a function of their direction, it seems it is possible to "look inside" by mapping their 3D density distributions.</p>

<ul>
<li>Washington Post: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/11/02/cosmic-rays-reveal-mysterious-void-in-egypts-great-pyramid/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Cosmic rays reveal mysterious void in Egypt’s Great Pyramid</a></li>
<li>Nature: <a href="https://www.nature.com/news/cosmic-ray-particles-reveal-secret-chamber-in-egypt-s-great-pyramid-1.22939" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Cosmic-ray particles reveal secret chamber in Egypt's Great Pyramid</a></li>
<li>arXiv: <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/1712.08590" rel="nofollow noreferrer">The secret chambers in the Chephren Pyramid</a></li>
<li>Digital Trends: <a href="https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/great-pyramid-muon-tomography/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Meet the tech that revealed a hidden chamber inside Egypt’s Great Pyramid</a></li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Question:</strong> Have cosmic ray muons or solar neutrinos been used to probe structures of the Earth, or to deduce or confirm any aspects of its structure in any way?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-16T01:29:17.973Z
I may need some help with tagging
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-16T19:48:42.197Z
[The first steps in the field of muography occurred in 1955 with the determination of the rock overburden on a mountain tunnel from the measurement of the muon flux reduction1.... More recently the method has been applied in the study of the internal structure of volcanoes . Measurements or feasibility studies concerning muography applications in archaeology10, 11, mining12, tunnel searches13, 14, geological survey15 and nuclear waste detection16 have been reported in literature.](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-01277-3)
Keith McClary
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-17T02:56:17.407Z
@KeithMcClary That's a pretty cool paper, it takes some time to understand it (looking at Fig. 19 for example) but I think I'm getting the idea. The section you've quoted is a good review as well. Thanks!
uhoh
<earth-observation><structural-geology>
Have cosmic ray muons or solar neutrinos been used to probe inside the Earth?
uhoh
# Have cosmic ray muons or solar neutrinos been used to probe inside the Earth?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-04-16)

By looking at the attenuation of cosmic ray muons passing through pyramids as a function of their direction, it seems it is possible to "look inside" by mapping their 3D density distributions.

* Washington Post: [Cosmic rays reveal mysterious void in Egypt’s Great Pyramid](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/11/02/cosmic-rays-reveal-mysterious-void-in-egypts-great-pyramid/)
* Nature: [Cosmic-ray particles reveal secret chamber in Egypt's Great Pyramid](https://www.nature.com/news/cosmic-ray-particles-reveal-secret-chamber-in-egypt-s-great-pyramid-1.22939)
* arXiv: [The secret chambers in the Chephren Pyramid](https://arxiv.org/abs/1712.08590)
* Digital Trends: [Meet the tech that revealed a hidden chamber inside Egypt’s Great Pyramid](https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/great-pyramid-muon-tomography/)

**Question:** Have cosmic ray muons or solar neutrinos been used to probe structures of the Earth, or to deduce or confirm any aspects of its structure in any way?

**Tags:** earth-observation, structural-geology

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I may need some help with tagging  
> **username_1**: [The first steps in the field of muography occurred in 1955 with the determination of the rock overburden on a mountain tunnel from the measurement of the muon flux reduction1.... More recently the method has been applied in the study of the internal structure of volcanoes . Measurements or feasibility studies concerning muography applications in archaeology10, 11, mining12, tunnel searches13, 14, geological survey15 and nuclear waste detection16 have been reported in literature.](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-01277-3)  
> **username_0**: @username_1 That's a pretty cool paper, it takes some time to understand it (looking at Fig. 19 for example) but I think I'm getting the idea. The section you've quoted is a good review as well. Thanks!  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-04-16. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

In November 2008 [neutrino tomography was used to measure Earth's mass](https://www.geographyrealm.com/measuring-the-neutrino-tomography-of-earth/). [A paper](https://arxiv.org/pdf/1803.05901.pdf) was published in journal [Nature](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41567-018-0319-1). The data was [captured by the South Pole’s](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IceCube_Neutrino_Observatory) [IceCube Neutrino Observatory](https://icecube.wisc.edu/).

In November 2013 IceCube announced it had discovered 28 neutrinos that likely originated outside the Solar System.

> The neutrinos that the IceCube detector had “caught” came from different angles because they probed different layers of Earth. By measuring how many neutrinos came from different angles, the scientific team was able to measure the densities of various Earth’s segments, and from that – the total mass of Earth.
>
> The neutrino tomography confirmed the traditional measurements on Earth’s mass, based on gravitational calculations and seismological data. That is especially interesting because neutrino tomography is a conceptually different and independent method – it doesn’t rely on gravity, but purely on weak interactions and the nucleon masses.
>
> While nothing new was discovered, the fact that a new technique has proven the old calculation right is exciting in its own terms.

Also, from the [University of Barcelona](https://www.ub.edu/web/ub/en/menu_eines/noticies/2018/11/009.html).

In 2006 there was a proposal with Harvard University to establish a network of ten detectors to enable [tomography of the Earth via antineutrinos](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2006EM%26P...99..193D/abstract).

Not related to the question, but interesting. CERN has a proposal to [detect nuclear contraband using cosmic ray muon tomography](http://cms.cern/content/homeland-security).

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Wow, thank you for such a speedy yet well-sourced answer!  

---

