How Do We Know Where an Earthquake Originated?

Description

Do your students locate earthquakes by picking P and S arrivals from old textbook seismograms? In this activity your students will use "real" 3-component seismic data from newsworthy earthquakes as part of the location exercise. Includes instructions for locating events on inflatable globes or using an online mapping site.

Audience

Grades 5 to 12

Time

1 hour

Objective

Objectives:  By the end of this activity, the student will be able to:

  1. Identify P and S waves on seismograms,
  2. Determine the distance of an epicenter from a seismic station using travel time curves,
  3. Locate the epicenter of an earthquake by triangulation, and
  4. Calculate the time of origin of an earthquake based on seismic data

Supporting Resources

Download full version of the activity (.doc)

Triangulating Earthquakes Online - A tool to allow teachers to locate earthquakes online using real seismic data.

Rapid Earthquake Viewer - Download seismic data to use in your S-P triangulation lab

Annimation(s)