School SeismologyDave WalthamDepartment of Earth SciencesRoyal Holloway University of London
Japan, March 11, 2011
RHUL Recording
P-waves, S-Waves & Mexican Waves
Surface Waves
RHUL Recording
P S Surface Waves
~10 mins
05:56:37
86.03
10:10. Hence, earthquake at 05:56:37 – 00:10:10 = 05:46:27
Epicentral Distance
RHUL
86.03
Japan
www.bgs.ac.uk/schoolSeismology
With Plate Boundaries
Texas Epicentral Distance=90°
Conclusions
• Off-shore Japan• Occurred at 05:46:27• Large!
www.usgs.gov
Large Foreshock
Wednesday 9/3/11
Friday 11/3/11
Aftershocks
EarthquakeSeismology
RHUL’s Seismometer
Greece14 Feb 2008Magnitude 6.7With aftershock
China12 May 2008Magnitude 7.987 652 fatalities
Herefordshire26 Oct 2008Magnitude 3.6
Frequencies1 Hz0.1 Hz
Conclusions
• School equipment can be used to detect and characterize distant earthquakes.
• We don’t know how to predict earthquakes. Can the next generation of scientists find a way?
• Until then, rigorous building codes save lives.
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