Each earthquake is labeled by the date on which it occurred october 9, october 16, and march 17. Locating the epicenter of an earthquake notes this is a seismograph taken from a seismometer. The radius of the circle are scaled to the estimated distance from the station to the earthquake. Table 1 shows the distance of three separate earthquakes from each of the recording stations provided on the data map. When an earthquake occurs, vibrations initiated by fracturing of the earths crust radiate outward from the point of fracture.
Download file pdf earthquake location lab answers earthquake location lab answers online geology labvirtual earthquakes i created this video with the youtube video editor. The actual location of an earthquake is the focus, or hypocenter. Simplified epicenter triangulation this laboratory exercise will familiarize you with the general process by which earthquake epicenters are determined. In order to practice triangulation we will use data from three separate earthquakes and locate three epicenters. Finally, the week 1 discussion addresses the balance between risks from quakes and costs of preventive measures. Prelab questions complete these questions before coming to lab. Although an earthquake may be felt in many locations worldwide, it originated, or started, at one location, called the epicenter. The week 1 lab gives you a chance to work with seismograms, locate an earthquake epicenter, and determine magnitude. Find the epicenter of the earthquake by using the date below and the provided reference information on the last page of the lab. Earthquake break or rupture of rock, emanating from a focus, sending seismic waves through earth materials 2. The method takes advantage of the fact that there are relatively constant ratios between the velocities of different pairs of seismic wave types. How to located the epicenter of an earthquake using triangulation.
Finding epicenters and measuring magnitudes worksheet. On a map, circles are drawn around each seismic station. Students will construct a structure out of drinking straws to see if it can withstand an earthquake. The difference is p and s waves determine the distance from the epicenter. Triangulation of an earthquake epicenter worksheet the file below contains several earthquake epicenter triangulation lab exercises and their answer key. The good news is that most of those earthquakes measure 4. To do the lab, you will need a card like a 3 by 5 or a 4 by 6 notecard, a compass for drawing circles, and a pencil or pen. This section contains 16 worksheets about earthquakes which can. This energy release results in waves traveling through the rock, which geologists use to locate earthquakes.
Visit my website at to check out recent blog entries, videos, and more. The three ltered station records from a single event that occurred on august 1, 1999. Your lab can be as complicated as requiring the calculation of distances and plotting several epicenters on the same map using a compass, or as simple as plotting one epicenter. Walkrun the arrival times of p and s waves from an earthquake are used to determine the location of an earthquake. Analyze the seismogram below and fill out the missing information for station 3 in the data table. Seismograms from three stations are provided to determine the epicenter using the s p s minus p method. Earthguide online classroom earthquake triangulation. Primary wave compressional wave from earthquake, moving fastest, and through all types of earth materials. This is a lab to help students explore the triangulation method used to determine earthquake epicenters. Students will learn about the concepts of force and engineering design to accurate students will learn about the different waves generated during an earthquake. The following earthquake triangulation exercise is modified from material developed by anne m ortiz and tammy k bravo of science education solutions. Refer to the data table and use the difference in arrival times to determine the distance to the earthquake epicenter for station 2. Epicenter is the point where the earthquake occurs directly above the focus point. I created this lab because i wanted a lab that very purposefully made students practice the analysis of seismogram data, calculate pertinent information such as lag time from pwave and swave.
Direct compressional waves p waves are faster moving and shear waves s waves are slower. Find the epicenter of an earthquake polk county school. This lesson for triangulation of epicenters was created in september 2017 for an 8th grade earth science assignment by dave crowder. P waves reach the seismometer at a specific location first then follow the s waves.
Watch the video, take 15 bullet point notes on key risks and effects of major earthquakes. Read pdf finding the epicenter lab with answers because it will pay for more chances and help for unconventional life. Great shakeout earthquake drills educational resources. Use the following link to load the video in youtube.
Earthquake location regional triangulation with real data. Earthquake lab the goal of this portion of the lab is to learn how recording of earthquakes seismograms are used to locate earthquakes, determine their magnitudes, and to understand the sense of fault motion related to the earthquake. How can i demonstrate seismic wave speed in the classroom. Introduction the epicenter of an earthquake is determined by triangulation. Introductory physical geography lab earthquake epicenter triangulation. This laboratory exercise will familiarize you with the general idea of locating earthquake epicenters.
Because real seismograms contain some noise with resultant uncertainty in locating arrival. Expand the student ideas for how to use the earthquake data table by leading a. In the example above, what is the time difference between p and s. Locating the epicenter of an earthquake introduction. When the plates of earths crust move, energy stored between these plates are released in the form of seismic waves earthquake. Scientists find the difference between the arrival times of the primary and the secondary waves at each of the three stations. An earthquake is the sudden release of energy due very large pieces of rock moving around and against each other. Many earth science textbooks contain a description of earthquake location by triangulation from three seismic stations. Finding epicenters and measuring magnitudes activityworksheet 1 finding epicenters and measuring magnitudes worksheet objective. If you can complete these tasks accurately, you will be prepared for that section of the regents earth science lab performance test. Earthquakes and volcanoes 1 sciencematters finding the epicenter lesson concept the epicenter of earthquakes can be determined by triangulation using the difference in arrival times of p and s waves.
Each type appears as a unique signature on a seismogram, the visual. If you can complete these tasks accurately, you will be prepared for that section of the regents earth science lab. According to the united states geological survey each year there are more than 10,000 earth quakes and in many years the number reaches above 30,000. Earthquake epicenter triangulation how to located the epicenter of an earthquake using triangulation. Each lesson can be completed in one or two 45minute class periods. Each station on the interactive map recorded an earthquake with a characteristic seismogram. Most earthquake units include a lab that shows how the epicenter of an earthquake is located using triangulation. Complete this activity and submit your completed table and journal to the dropbox.
Displaying all worksheets related to finding an epicenter. For the event we will look at in this lab, you are given two seismograms for each of the five stations shown in figure 3. Triangulation is a method that uses distance information determined from 3 seismic stations to uniquely locate the earthquake. Fema 527 earthquake safety activities for children and teenagers pdf. This experiment will help them visualize how p waves travel through earthquakes. Distance of the earthquake from each seismic station is determined using the time difference between the arrivals of the primary p and secondary s waves from the earthquake. This means that seismic data is needed from at least three different locations, and where this data intersects tells us the epicenter. It is commonly used by geologists to find the locations of earthquakes, and is also used to determine spacecraft location. Finding epicenters and measuring magnitudes activityworksheet example answers 5 this is an opinionbased question, but expect students to bring in what they know about triangulationdistance calculation, seismogramsnomograms andor the. Locating the epicenter of an earthquake notes this is a seismograph taken from a seismometer p waves reach the seismometer at a specific location first then follow the s waves. To use seismic data and an interactive simulation to triangulate the location and measure the magnitude of an earthquake. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Students use real seismograms to determine the arrival times for p and s waves and use these times to determine the distance of the seismic station from the earthquake. Triangulation is a way of determining somethings location using the locations of other things.
In this lesson students will learn how to determine the distance of an earthquake from seismic stations using the difference in primary and secondary waves from the earthquake. One seismogram recorded the ground motion in the eastwest ew direction and the other, in the northsouth ns direction. Worksheets are finding epicenters and measuring magnitudes work, locating the epicenter of an earthquake, regents earth science name plotting epicenter work, finding the epicenter, lecture 3 activity locating an earthquake epicenter, skill 28 c finding an earthquake epicenter, earth science. Earthguide 20072008 earthguide at scripps institution of oceanography. There are several ways to use triangulation to figure out location. Geologic hazards 5 b what do you think would happen to the speed of the pwave if it traveled through loosely packed material. Earthquake location 2 by using p and s wave arrival times you can now locate an earthquake using real seismic records. The procedure for locating an epicenter has three steps. Locating an earthquake to locate the epicenter of an earthquake, scientists must have seismograms from at least three seismic stations. Your lab report contains the data and the detailed instructions for this investigation. Work in pairs sharing one computer with internet access.
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