Zusammenfassung der FTOS-Kolumnen, in denen der Komplex Seismos-Mintrop behandelt wurde
SBRO
31.07.2006
Seite 1 von 9
FROM THE OTHER SIDE
Das 75jährige Jubiläum der Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) in 2005 schlug sich in
T
HE
L
EADING
E
DGE
, dem Fachorgan der Gesellschaft, in zahlreichen Arbeiten nieder. Im Startartikel von Dean
Clark
ist zu lesen (s. Seite 3)
, daß die US-Geophysiker, so wie Mintrop, bereits im 1. Weltkrieg mittels
Refraktion Feindbatterien geortet hätten. Faktum aber ist: Mintrops Patent datiert vo n 1917. resp. 1919, während
die US-Geophysiker vo m Refraktionsverfahren damals noch keinen Schimmer hatten und erst 1925 die ersten
Systeme entwickelten, (die von Mintrops Apparatur abzukupfern sie keine Mühe scheuten. Siehe auch Seite 7!).
Über 60 eMails und zahlreiche Materialsendungen an Lee Lawyer, dem "Chef-Kolumnisten" von TLE, der in
bewundernswerter Weise mein Anliegen unterstützte, waren nötig, um die Prioritäts-Debatte einigermaßen
erfolgreich abzuschließen.
Gerhard Keppner
Extracted from T
HE
L
EADING
E
DGE
FROM THE OTHER SIDE
A column by Lee Lawyer with stories about geophysics and geophysicists
B
y the time you read this you will be ready to go
to Salt Lake City for the Annual Meeting, i.e., the
convention. Remember that the Honors and Awards and
the Presidential Session are on Sunday afternoon this
year rather than on Monday morning. I am unclear why
the change was made. Perhaps it was the low attendance
at the
Presidential
Session last year. It is difficult to see
how moving the session to Sunday afternoon can
enhance attendance … but … it is possible to enhance
apparent attendance. The session is usually scheduled
for a huge auditorium, with a seating capacity of 15 000
or more. Hold the session in a smaller venue! That way
it will look as if you have packed them in with standing
room only. Asell out! Tento- one says that no one has
thought of this simple solution. History lesson (probably
repeated): Twenty-five years ago, H&Aplus the
Presidential Address were held during the allconvention
luncheon on Monday. When we became too large for
this “sit-down” luncheon, H&Awas moved to
Wednesday night and called “Awards and Music.” The
Presidential Address and the keynote speaker were
moved to Monday morning. After many enjoyable
Wednesday evening shows, Awards and Music was
considered too expensive. It was cancelled and H&A
was moved to Monday morning to join the Presidential
Session. Currently, the Presidential Session and H&A
are to be found on Sunday afternoon. Plan to attend.
Gerhard Keppner, writer of “Ludger Mintrop” (TLE
1991) and “Waldemar Zettel and the rebuilding of
Prakla” (TLE 1998), has a literary bent on the thumper
subject.
“As a persistent reader of TLE, and especially of
your column, I learned with amusement in the July issue
what tremendous shock-effects some people credit the
vibrators. If you had read Ken Follett’s novel The
Hammer of Eden you would know that a single stolen
vibrator—“The hammer”— could serve as a blackmail
device to terrify the government of California, yes, and
finally it succeeded in releasing an earthquake (San
Andreas Fault, I suppose). I had the pleasure to help the
German translator correct the first 40 pages in which the
method of vibroseis is explained. The German edition is
called: Die Kinder von Eden, that is The Children of
Eden.”
Thanks, Gerhard. I tried to read Follett’s novel. It is
truly science fiction (or fictional science). I recovered
the September 1991 TLE from my archives and reread
your article on Ludger Mintrop. This is truly an
outstanding biography of one of the most important if
not the most important figure in the history of seismic
exploration. In the United States, we have a monument
to John Karcher for his work with reflection seismics but
have lost our perspective with regard to earlier
contributions to geophysical exploration done by
Mintrop in Europe. He started it all with a mechanical
seismograph and a separate photographic recording
device. Quoting from Gerhard’s article: “A classic
depiction shows Mintrop’s system in the working
position: On the right is the vertical pendulum—the
geophone—and on the left the photographic unit—the
recording instrument. The mass of the pendulum was
made up of a 4 kg lead ball suspended elastically from a
laminated spring. As a result of its inertia as a static
pole, the mass remained stationary when seismic waves
affected the housing and made that vibrate. The relative
movement between the static mass and the moving
surroundings had then to be amplified and recorded.
Mintrop solved this problem with an ingenious system
made up of laminated springs, mirrors, a directing
magnet that returned the mirror to its resting position
after tilting, a convex lens and a light recorder, which
was set up 1 m away. The recording unit sent a
concentrated light beam to the mirror on the
seismograph and picked it up again to record it
photographically.”
