By the end of today's class, you should be able to do the following:

EARTHQUAKE MAPS

w Using the earthquake maps the class produced, arrange them in meaningful groups based on the patterns of earthquake epicenters and based on the patterns of focal depths you observe in each. 

w Analyze a map illustrating earthquake epicenter locations and depth of focus.  Using the map, explain the area's relationship to geotectonics, and tell how and why the map has the appearance it has. 

 
MEASURING EARTHQUAKES

w Explain how a seismometer works.

w Explain why every seismograph includes at least three seismometers.

w Describe P-waves and S-waves and explain the differences between them.

w Demonstrate how to use a seismic P-S lag (time difference) to determine the distance to an earthquake epicenter.

w Show how to locate the epicenter of an earthquake using seismograms from three different stations.  Explain why it is necessary to use data from at least three stations.

w After viewing some of the videos and animations of the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 26, 2004, research seismograms from the event.

w Use seismograms to find the epicenter of an earthquake using the Indian Ocean tsunami as an example.  (Extra copies of the map, the seismograms , and the P-S lag (time difference) graph are linked to this page.  This exercise is abridged from an exercise copyrighted in 2004 by Dave Robison and Steve Kluge.)