Chasing the Vibrotrucks: Munich’s Underground Seismic Survey for Geothermal Heat

A Hackaday feature detailing Munich’s large-scale seismic survey to map underground water for geothermal power. Geophones laid out across the city capture reflections from vibrotrucks’ controlled ground shocks, enabling a 3D underground map (GIGA‑M study) to guide where to drill 1–2 km boreholes and spider out to larger heat sources. The author hunts the vibrotrucks, experiences the loud, bassy sweeps, and explains how GPS-timed recordings and data processing translate vibrations into a geological image while highlighting practicalities of extended-reach drilling.