Terrestrial Stationary Waves

Terrestrial stationary waves is a persistent spherical conductor “single-wire” surface wave electrical transmission line phenomenon arising across the Earth's surface by virtue of the highly conductive nature of the earth itself. It was considered by Nikola Tesla to be his most important discovery. Earth's surface constitutes an interface that supports the wave.

On July 3, 1899, Tesla claimed discovery of this new geo-electrical phenomenon, which he said would allow for the transmission of electrical energy around the world.

That communication without wires to any point of the globe is practicable with such apparatus would need no demonstration, but through a discovery which I made I obtained absolute certitude. Popularly explained, it is exactly this: When we raise the voice and hear an echo in reply, we know that the sound of the voice must have reached a distant wall, or boundary, and must have been reflected from the same. Exactly as the sound, so an electrical wave is reflected, and the same evidence which is afforded by an echo is offered by an electrical phenomenon known as a "stationary" wave — that is, a wave with fixed nodal and ventral regions. Instead of sending sound-vibrations toward a distant wall, I have sent electrical vibrations toward the remote boundaries of the earth, and instead of the wall the earth has replied. In place of an echo I have obtained a stationary electrical wave, a wave reflected from afar.

Terrestrial stationary waves were first observed by Tesla and formed the basis for his plans regarding the transmission of electrical energy without wires for the purposes of simultaneous point-to-point telecommunications, broadcasting, and the transmission of electrical power.

The discovery of the stationary terrestrial waves, showing that, despite its vast extent, the entire planet can be thrown into resonant vibration like a little tuning fork; that electrical oscillations suited to its physical properties and dimensions pass through it unimpeded, in strict obedience to a simple mathematical law, has proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that the earth, considered as a channel for conveying electrical energy, even in such delicate and complex transmissions as human speech or musical composition, is infinitely superior to a wire or cable, however well designed.