How to Locate the Epicenter of an Earthquake: Lab Practical Guide
Overview
In this video, we explore the process of locating the epicenter of an earthquake using data from seismic stations. The instructions guide students through recording distances, drawing circles on a map, and determining the epicenter's location based on the intersection of these circles.
Step-by-Step Instructions
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Record Initial Data
- Write the epicenter code number (21) and the distance from seismic Station 2 (1700 kilometers) in your answer booklet.
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Identify Seismic Station One
- Locate Station One on the map in your answer booklet. A circle represents the distance from Station One to the earthquake epicenter.
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Draw Circle for Station Two
- Use a compass to draw a circle around Station Two, measuring 1700 kilometers. Ensure the compass is set correctly to represent this distance.
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Analyze Seismogram for Station Three
- Determine the time difference between the P wave and S wave from the seismogram. For example, if the P wave arrives at 11:41 and the S wave at 11:48:10, the time difference is 7 minutes and 10 seconds.
- Use a reference table to find the distance corresponding to this time difference, which is approximately 5800 kilometers.
-
Draw Circle for Station Three
- Measure 5800 kilometers with the compass and draw a circle around Station Three.
-
Locate the Epicenter
- Identify the intersection point of the three circles on the map. Mark this location with an 'X' to indicate the epicenter.
Conclusion
This practical exercise helps students understand how to use seismic data to locate an earthquake's epicenter accurately. The final step is crucial as it demonstrates the importance of precise measurements and data interpretation in seismology. For further understanding of related concepts, you may want to check out our summary on Understanding Significant Figures in Measurements.
FAQs
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What is the purpose of locating an earthquake's epicenter?
- Locating the epicenter helps in understanding the earthquake's impact and planning for safety measures.
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What tools are needed for this lab practical?
- A compass, answer booklet, seismogram, and reference table are essential for this exercise.
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How do I determine the time difference between P and S waves?
- Analyze the seismogram to find the arrival times of both waves and subtract the P wave time from the S wave time.
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Why is it important to draw circles around the seismic stations?
- The circles represent the distance from each station to the epicenter, and their intersection indicates the epicenter's location. For a deeper dive into related geological processes, consider reviewing Exploring Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition: A Hands-On Science Experiment.
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What if the circles do not intersect perfectly?
- It's common for circles to nearly intersect; the epicenter is marked at the closest point of intersection.
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How is the epicenter marked on the map?
- An 'X' is placed at the intersection point of the circles to indicate the epicenter's location.
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Can this method be used for any earthquake?
- Yes, this method can be applied to locate the epicenter of any earthquake using seismic data from multiple stations. For those preparing for exams, our Comprehensive Review of the January 21, 2025 Earth Science Regents Exam may also be beneficial.
hi everyone today we're talking about station two of our lab practical and we're talking about how to locate the
epicenter of an earthquake so let's start with our directions right here and our directions packet so first of all it
says write the code number and distance from seismic Station 2 listed below in your answer booklet so down here it
tells me the epicenter code number which is two one so on here on my answer booklet I'm just going to write the code
number 21. the code numbers are important for when your teacher grades your work next is ask for the distance
from seismic Station 2 from the epicenter that's also given to me right here I'm just going to copy that number
down onto my answer booklet in this case it's 1700 kilometers so these two things are given to me in the beginning I'm
just copying it down number two says seismic station one is located on the map in your answer booklet the circle is
drawn around Science Station one and it represents the distance from station one to an earthquake epicenter so if I go to
my answer booklet I see that station one is already drawn for me and it's showing me the distance from station one to my
earthquake epicenter I know my earthquake might be somewhere around this circle but I don't know exactly
where my earthquake is so that's why I need the data from Station 2 here and station three here
now number three says seismic station two use the compass to draw a circle around station two on the map in your
answer booklet to represent the distance from seismic Station 2 to the epicenter provided for you so Megan can I have my
compass please I use my compass and it already gave me the answer it tells me that my distance from seismic Station 2
is 1700 kilometers I'm gonna go to my answer booklet and I'm going to measure 1700 kilometers with my compass I'm
going to put the metal part on zero and I'm just gonna measure out 1700 which should be somewhere around here notice
that each tiny increment is going up by 200. once I measured 1700 I'm going to keep
this distance since I'm measuring station two I'm going to put the middle part of my compass on station two and
I'm just gonna draw a circle around station two that's 1700 kilometers so let's see
[Music] there you go so now I have a circle around station two I hope it's visible
okay so finally number four on my instructions tells me that for station three I want to use the seismogram below
to determine the time difference between the P wave and S Wave so for this one they don't give me the distance and I
need to figure out the distance myself so first let's figure out what the time of the P wave was and the time of the S
Wave was most of the time you're going to be given a seismogram with increments of 20 seconds so in this case if this is
11 hours and 40 minutes this would be 11 hours 40 minutes and 20 seconds 11 hours 40 minutes and 40 seconds 11 hours 41
minutes so P where it would be 11 hours and 41 minutes so let's keep going S Wave if this is 11 45 11 hours and 45
minutes this would be 11 hours and 46 minutes 11 hours and 47 minutes 11 hours and 48 minutes and this would be 10
seconds because each of my small increments are 20 seconds so 45 46 47 48 11 hours 48 minutes and 10 seconds now I
know my RP wave arrival time and S Wave arrival time I just need to subtract them to find the time difference
so 48 11 hours 41 minutes 11 hours 48 minutes and 10 seconds minus 11 hours 41 minutes is
7 minutes and 10 seconds not that I have that I'm gonna go to my answer booklet and I'm gonna write down
the time difference which is seven minutes and 10 seconds lastly it swans the distance to from seismic Station 3
to the epicenter so I'm gonna go to my reference table page 11. this page will be given to you
during the lab practical so you don't need to bring with you but I'm going to use a piece of scrap paper in this case
I'm just going to use my boarding over here so it looks like my time difference is 7 minutes and 10 seconds I'm gonna
take my scrap paper and I'm gonna line it with my y-axis I'm gonna put a mark where the zero is I'm gonna put another
Mark at 7 minutes 10 seconds my time difference remember each small increment is 20 seconds this is seven minutes this
7 minutes 20 seconds so in between would be 7 minutes 10 seconds now I have my time difference marked to find the
distance I'm gonna keep my scrap paper vertical and I'm just gonna move it up until this Mark touches this line and
this Mark touches the bottom line so my answer I'm gonna stop somewhere around here it looks like here this Mark is
touching this one and this Mark is touching this slime now I'm going to stop here and just gonna I'm just gonna
move down to my what x-axis and I see that my distance is around five thousand
five thousand two hundred five thousand four hundred five thousand six hundred my distance is around five thousand
eight hundred kilometers and that's what I'm going to write in my answer booklet right here five thousand
eight hundred kilometers now that I have my distance I can now draw a circle around station three I'm gonna use my
compass again I'm gonna measure a distance of five thousand eight hundred so
you can see I always put the metal part at zero and I'm gonna measure five thousand eight hundred that's somewhere
around here remember each small increment is 200 I'm going to take my metal part again and I'm gonna put it
around three it's okay when you draw the circle it goes outside the map that's a very normal thing to happen but what I'm
gonna do is draw a circle around station three times you're gonna see all three circles
intercept but a lot of times you'll also see them almost intersect you don't have to do much here and they don't intersect
you just want to find the place where station one the circle around one two and three do connect and that's
somewhere around in this area so if I find that area I'm just gonna the last thing I'm gonna do if I look
back on my directions number five sorry number six says place an x on the map in your answer booklet
to Mark the location of the epicenter where all three circles intersect or nearly intercepts they almost nearly
intersect here so I'm going to draw a big x-ray here the x is very important because you will be graded on that part
and that's it for station two
Heads up!
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