Background vibration and your system.

Wonderful post (I am also a geologist). Some of the biggest benefits to my stereo system were through vibration control. My HiFi Racks rack with two inch oak shelves and point plate isolation made an astounding improvement, as did Stillpoints under my source compnents.

George, you might be interested to learn that the Scanning Electron Microscope on the JOIDES Resolution drillship was originally isolated from the custom wooden lab bench by an inner tube suspension. Vibration control for a number of the instruments and microscopes aboard that ship during the Ocean Drilling Program and the two later IODP programs was always a challenge! My favorite problem that was addressed was how to do high precision weighing on a moving ship!

@jallan 

Thanks for your interesting post. Great problem... I love challenges like that. Sound like fun.

You know Silent Running Audio... started with platforms for scanning electron microscopes and submarines? I don't know that much about them, but love their platforms. 

Just went on the Silent Running website-what an interesting company! The most recent picture of the JR SEM (before it was demobilised last year) showed the SEM on cork+rubber isolation feet on top of what looks like an isolation platform, not si dissimilar but thinner to the cheaper Silent Running platform. I wish that I knew of the company earlier (several decades ago I had oversight of the JR labs, and for nearly two decades I oversaw funding of JR operations at NSF), as I could have suggested them to Texas A&M (as science operator of the JR). 

@erik_squires - There has been research resulting in useful products like those from Townshend, SRA, and other companies that many here benefit from. The most prevalent applications have probably been in mitigating vibrations acting on turntables.

On the flip side, IMO there are also products marketed using pseudoscience and/or exaggerated claims, which muddy the water.  As you indicate, the absence of documented research has left the audio equipment industry without consistent/uniform vibration measuring processes and baselines.

Regardless of the application, the principles are consistent and solutions involve various implementations of mass, springs, and damping as presented in this link and this link.  However each application is unique depending on what is being isolated, and from what vibratory source.

In our audio world, springs are successfully used like Townshend platforms or the inner tube discussed earlier, which is an air spring.  Commonly used elastomeric footers are also a form of damped spring. Many audiophiles mass load with brass or other materials, and many types of turntable stands and platforms seem to be successful at mitigating the effects of vibrations. However, without clearer documented research and guidance it is mostly a trial and error endeavor in the audio world.

There is a pretty cheap fix for vibration actually.

Low durometer (about 30) sorbothane pucks...There's a website out there for correct weight distribution on it. Yes,  it will stick and stain if you don't do the following....get a plastic bag, cut 2 pieces of the plastic out of it and sandwich the sorbothane puck between..to prevent staining, etc...Works way better than some vulture priced crap.

I've noticed some big improvements on dacs.

if the tremors  caused settlement/foundation issues, etc, you have other bigger problems besides hifi to worry about, of course.