Stanford researchers have shown that instruments primarily used to understand earthquakes can capture key details about hurricanes, helping meteorologists better predict how storms will evolve and intensify.

A new study published Aug. 6 in Science demonstrates how specialized microphones and seismometers that detect Earth’s movements can reveal the inner workings of hurricanes. The discovery came after Hurricane Isaac barreled onto the Louisiana coast in 2012, passing over areas where geophysicists had installed sensors for another project.

“We’ve found a new and effective way to gather valuable information about hurricanes from seismic and acoustic sensors,” said lead study author Qing Ji, who conducted the research as a doctoral student in the lab of Eric Dunham at Stanford University. “The geophysics data can provide a fuller understanding of big storms.”