Lab #24 Lab #1
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LAB #1 LAB #24 Earthquakes Recommended Textbook Reading Prior to Lab: • Chapter 14, Geohazards: Volcanoes and Earthquakes 14.3 Tectonic Hazards: Faults and Earthquakes 14.4 Unstable Crust: Seismic Waves Goals: After completing this lab, you will be able to: • Classify the types and characteristics of body and surface seismic waves. • Interpret a seismogram and determine the likely seismic wave characteristics. • Determine the arrival time difference between selected P waves and S waves, and use a travel time curve to determine distance to an earthquake’s epicenter. • Use a drawing compass to triangulate an earthquake’s epicenter. • Quantify earthquake magnitude with a magnitude nomogramreproduction after interpreting key variables on a seismogram. • Calculate energy-released comparisons, as well as ground-motion comparisons, for selected earthquakes of varying magnitude. • Identify how an earthquake intensity scale differs from an earthquake magnitude scale. unauthorized • Carry out intensity interval sketching on a map following a hypothetical earthquake. No • Judge the likely earthquake intensity of selected cities during a hypothetical earthquake. 2014. Key Terms and Concepts: • epicenter • S wave • magnitude • seismograph (or seismometer) • magnitude nomogramFreeman • seismogram • modifi ed MercalliH. intensity (MMI) scale • travel time curve • P wave W. © Required Materials: • Drafting compass • Drawing compass • Ruler • Textbook: Living Physical Geography, by Bruce Gervais 273 © 2014 W. H. Freeman and Company LAB #24 Earthquakes 275 Problem-Solving Module #1: Earthquake Waves and the Travel Time Curve Earthquakes generate both P waves (primary) and S waves (secondary). Both P and S waves travel through Earth’s interior and are called body waves. Earthquakes also generate Rayleigh and Love waves. These waves travel on Earth’s surface and are called surface waves. Typical Speed General (varies depending Grouping Travel Medium Wave Name on medium) Motion Body waves Through Earth’s P wave ~6 km/s Compression interior and dilation S wave ~3.5 km/s Shearing (through Earth’s interior) Surface waves On Earth’s surface Love wave ~2.8 km/s Shearing (across Earth’s surface) Rayleigh wave ~2.7 km/s Elliptical TABLE 1–1 reproduction A seismograph (or seismometer) is an instrument that detects, measures, and records ground shaking. A seismometer’s record is called a seismogram. Seismograms are read like the pages of a book, from left to right, and they are always time-stamped using Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Because P waves travel fastest, they appear fi rst on any seismogram, followed by S waves, and then surface waves. Figure 1–1 is a hypothetical model of a seismogram. unauthorized No 2014. Freeman H. W. © FIGURE 1–1 © 2014 W. H. Freeman and Company 276 LAB #24 Earthquakes 1. Use your textbook, along with the information in Table 1–1 and in Figure 1–1, to complete Table 1–2. Wave Characteristic Seismic Wave Group(s) # (see Figure 1–1) Includes Love waves Has a shearing motion through Earth’s interior Travels on Earth’s surface Arrives at a seismometer last Generally grouped as surface waves Travels fastest Includes Rayleigh waves Travels through Earth’s interior Classifi ed as a surface wave Travels slowest Has the largest waves Travels at about 3.5 km/s Arrives at a seismometer fi rst reproduction Has a compression and dilation motion Generally grouped as body waves Includes waves with an elliptical motion Produce the greatest shaking unauthorized TABLE No1–2 Scientists use the difference between P-wave and S-wave arrival times to determine the distance to an earthquake’s epicenter using a travel time curve2014. (Figure 1–2). A travel time curve is a graph that presents the arrival times of P waves and S waves as a function of distance from a seismic source. To use a travel time curve: 1. Subtract the P-wave arrivalFreeman time from the S-wave arrival time to determine time difference. 2. Extend a drafting compassH. along the travel time curve’s y-axis, from 0 up to the time difference. W. 3. Keep the compass© open at the determined time difference, and then move it to the right while keeping the compass point that was formerly on 0 along the P-wave curve. 4. Stop moving the compass when the other point lies on the S-wave curve, vertically above the P-wave curve. 5. Extend a vertical line to the graph’s x-axis to determine distance to the earthquake’s epicenter. 2. In Figure 1–1, how much time elapsed between the arrival of the P waves and the arrival of the S waves? __________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Using the arrival time difference determined in question 2, determine the distance to the earthquake’s epicenter using the travel time curve. How far away is the earthquake? __________________________________________________________________________________ © 2014 W. H. Freeman and Company LAB #24 Earthquakes 277 reproduction unauthorized FIGURE 1–2 No 4. Complete Table 1–3 by calculating the arrival time difference of P waves and S waves and then the distance to seven separate earthquakes.2014. P-Wave Arrival S-Wave Arrival Arrival Time Distance to Time Time Difference Epicenter (km) Freeman 19:12:15 19:18:45 H. 07:34:00 07:37:30 W. 02:28:30© 02:33:30 12:16:45 12:20:15 22:58:15 23:06:15 09:01:30 09:11:30 03:15:15 03:19:30 TABLE 1–3 Notice in Table 1–3 that only distance, not location, has been determined. Triangulating an epicenter’s location requires sketching a distance circle around each seismometer station. Where the three circles intersect is an epicenter’s location. © 2014 W. H. Freeman and Company 278 LAB #24 Earthquakes 5. Use seismogram data in Table 1–4 and your drawing compass to triangulate the location of an earthquake on Figure 1–3. Identify the earthquake’s epicenter with a star where the three distance circles overlap. Be sure to use the scale provided on Figure 1–3 to adjust the width of your drawing compass. Distance to Station Epicenter (km) Station #1 800 Station #2 700 Station #3 500 TABLE 1–4 reproduction unauthorized No 2014. Freeman H. W. © Data source: National Atlas FIGURE 1–3 © 2014 W. H. Freeman and Company LAB #24 Earthquakes 279 Problem-Solving Module #2: Magnitude versus Intensity An earthquake’s magnitude is a quantitative measure of its size. Of the several methods that exist to determine magnitude, “Local Magnitude” (ML) is good for quantifying nearby earthquakes. Determining ML requires knowing 1) the arrival time difference between P waves and S waves, and 2) the amplitude of the largest S wave. Amplitude is an absolute value and is determined by measuring the largest S-wave peak. reproduction FIGURE 2–1 From Figure 2–1 we determine that an earthquake’s unauthorizedarrival time difference is 30 seconds and its amplitude is 23 mm. These two variables can now be plottedNo on a nomograph—a graphical calculating tool that yields a desired value after two variables are aligned with a straight line. Figure 2–2 is an ML nomograph. 1. Using data from Figure 2–1, plot the arrival2014. time difference on the nomograph’s left vertical axis (notice that this automatically yields the distance to the earthquake’s epicenter). Plot the amplitude on the nomograph’s right vertical axis. Connect both points with a straight line. Your line intersects the middle vertical axis at the earthquake’s ML. What is the ML? Freeman _________________________________________________________________________________ H. W. 2. Use Figures 1–2 and© 2–2 to complete the data for each earthquake listed in Table 2–1. Distance to Earthquake P-Wave S-Wave Arrival Time Epicenter Amplitude ML Arrival Arrival Difference (km) (mm) (Magnitude) 14:01:04 14:01:14 15 03:12:09 03:12:15 75 01:30:01 01:30:05 5 17:14:10 17:14:55 35 23:14:32 23:14:57 0.7 08:56:17 08:56:57 100 TABLE 2–1 © 2014 W. H. Freeman and Company 280 LAB #24 Earthquakes reproduction FIGURE 2–2 Every whole number increase in earthquake magnitude yields 10 times more ground shaking and 32 times more energy released. For example, a magnitudeunauthorized 6 earthquake moves the ground 10 times more and releases 32 times more energy than a magnitudeNo 5 earthquake. Here is an example of how to determine how much more (or less) ground shaking occurred, and how much more (or less) energy was released, when comparing two different earthquakes. Assume a magnitude 6.7 earthquake occurred, and compare it to a magnitude 5.3 earthquake. 2014. • The magnitude 6.7 earthquake shook the ground 25 times more because 6.7 – 5.3 = 1.4 magnitude difference 101.4 = 25.11 (rounded to 25) Freeman • The magnitude 6.7 earthquakeH. released 128 times more energy because 6.7 – 5.3 = 1.4 magnitude difference W. 321.4 = 128 © 3. How much more ground shaking occurs during a magnitude 6.3 earthquake compared to a magnitude 5.3? (Be sure to show your work.) __________________________________________________________________________________ 4. How much more ground shaking occurs during a magnitude 6.3 earthquake compared to a magnitude 4.7? (Be sure to show your work.) __________________________________________________________________________________ 5. How much more ground shaking occurs during a magnitude 6.3 earthquake compared to a magnitude 2.8? (Be sure to show your work.) __________________________________________________________________________________ 6. How much more energy is released during a magnitude 7.8 earthquake compared to a magnitude 6.8? (Be sure to show your work.) __________________________________________________________________________________ © 2014 W. H. Freeman and Company LAB #24 Earthquakes 281 7. How much more energy is released during a magnitude 7.8 earthquake compared to a magnitude 5.3? (Be sure to show your work.) __________________________________________________________________________________ 8.