Seismic waves of this test were observed at stations around the globe and it was realized that these waves could be used to detect and potentially characterize a nuclear explosion. Project Vela provided a large quantity of supplementary seismic data, used to answer three questions: Where is the seismic event located? A natural earthquake shows a distinct pattern of seismic waves, recorded with a seismogram. Seismic waves can be generated also by the impact of objects on the ground. The analysis of seismic waves provided insights on what happened September 11, 2001, in New York.

Source: Forbes January 13, 2018 16:18 UTC