Advances in cosmic-ray muography for Earth sciences and geophysical applications

Muography is a passive and non-destructive imaging technique that utilizes cosmic-ray muons for visualizing and monitoring the interior of geological structures and human-made objects. A rapid development of muographic observation technologies was achieved in the recent years, which allowed to resolve Earth's shallow subsurface with a resolution of a few meters and conduct long-term muon monitoring in harsh and varying environment. Muography can be applied as a complementary technique for Earth sciences and related engineering fields, e.g., for studying active volcanism, characterizing the overburden above underground sites, structural health monitoring infrastructures, exploring hidden cultural heritages, etc. We overview the recent progress in development of muography and we discuss case studies from volcanology to mining engineering from the Americas, Asia and Europe.