Activity 2 - Detecting Earthquake Waves

Use the resources listed below to help you complete this activity.

State-Based Resources
General Resources

State-Based Resources: Inquiring Further

1. To learn more about the history of earthquake studies, visit the following web sites:

   "The Early History of Seismometry (to 1900)" by James Dewey and Perry Byerly, USGS National Earthquake Information Center
   Series of "chapters" which detail the early development of instruments used to detect and measure earthquake activity.

   "A Brief History of Seismology to 1910" - Institute for Crustal Studies, University of California at Santa Barbara
   Read about early explanations for earthquakes and the start of the "modern era" of seismology at around 1750. Follow the development of the science of earthquake study.

2. To learn more about recent seismic activity and how seismic waves travel through the Earth, visit the following web sites:

   "Near Real Time Earthquake List" - USGS National Earthquake Information Center, Golden, Colorado
   Review a list of the most recent earthquake activity for the world. Click on the earthquake of interest to read an "Earthquake Bulletin" which gives an epicenter location map, seismic history of the area, p-wave travel times, and arrival time data for that earthquake.

   "Seismic Monitor" - IRIS Consortium, University of Washington
   Map is updated every 30 minutes - shoes locations of earthquakes as well as seismic events on or near nuclear test sites.

   Seimographs from the USGS
   Explains how seismographs work, includes diagrams of seismographs and also reviews P and S wave motion and explains how to read Travel-Time curves.

3. Virtual Earthquake

   Visit the original Virtual Earthquake or revised Virtual Earthquake web sites.

   • Practice using seismographs to find an earthquake epicenter.
   • Simulate an earthquake in the region of your choice.
   • Print out a record of your results.

   Include the seismograms and the map showing the epicenter location, but do not do the magnitude activity at this time.

General information related to this activity:

Seismometers

Seimographs from the USGS
Explains how seismographs work, includes diagrams of seismographs and also reviews P and S wave motion and explains how to read Travel-Time curves.

"How are Earthquakes Studied?" -
UPSeis from Michigan Technological University
Includes a photograph and description of the first device used to detect earthquakes and an illustration showing how seismograms are generated.

"The Early History of Seismometry (to 1900)" by James Dewey and Perry Byerly, USGS National Earthquake Information Center
Series of "chapters" which detail the early development of instruments used to detect and measure earthquake activity.

Interpreting Seismograms

"How Do I Read a Seismogram" -
UPSeis from Michigan Technological University
Includes images to help you to learn to read seismograms.

"Seismometers, Seismographs, and Seismograms"
USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory

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Last updated: May 11, 2010

This project is supported, in part, by the National Science Foundation and the AGI Foundation. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Foundation.