New Delhi: In a bid to study earthquakes more closely, Indian scientists are preparing to send probes to greater depths to monitor changes in the earth's crust; perhaps the first such project in this part of the world. The scientists are planning to drill a borehole up to eight kilometres deep into the earth in the quake-prone Koyna region in Maharashtra to understand the changes that occur underground when an earthquake strikes. Seismic zone The Koyna region, home to a large hydel project, is a highly active seismic zone and would provide scientists an opportunity to study earthquakes more closely in real-time. It will also help them in looking for precursors or warning signals to an earthquake.