Seismology has always been grouped with earthquakes and that has always been true to most people. The actual truth is it is not always the focus even though studying earthquakes is the main component of this discipline of science. Seismologists and Geophysicists actually also study the effects of earthquakes in general and also the effects of man-made seismic activity and then the movement of the elastic waves through the Earth. Scientists use many tools to help them study movement all over the earth.
The first tool to be used would be a seismometer which is used by all seismologists and they should learn how to use it. In the past, seismometer simply showcased the size and duration of seismic waves. You would have seen these devices before which are most likely news broadcasts showing the seismic activity before, during and after an earthquake. They usually call this a seismograph and there are many stations of these all over the world which records seismic activity always. They also record the activity and not just the show of the activity in today's seismometers which scientists would study the data more easily.
You might be surprised to learn that even 2,000 years ago in China there were actually seismographs, the very first of their kind. This ancient instrument monitored things like ground movement and wind events. This was used until in the late 19th century when Thomas Gray, John Milne and James Alfred Ewing built a more modern version of the device. Even though it did not detect the occurrence of far-away earthquakes, it provided helpful data which was the location of nearby earthquakes. Fault lines and the study of different types of earthquakes are the data that assisted the scientists.
A strain-meter is an interesting device used by scientists who are studying earthquakes and this is actually placed deep into the earth as much as 500 feet below the surface. It detects small movements under the earth's surface. The strain-meter can record changes in the earth at lower frequencies than you could with a seismometer. When they have been in place for long periods of time, they can show how stress builds up due to plate tectonics and record the release of this stress or changes in stresses after a seismic event.
Theodolites, such as those built by Warren-Knight Instrument Company, are yet another type of tool which is used commonly by the seismologist. There are other professional people who use theodolite, including surveying engineer. For seismologists, the theodolite is used to measure the creep movement or the movement that occurs in the crust of the earth as a reaction to earthquakes.
Volcanoes and man-made seismic movements are also other events that are studied by seismologists. In these instances, a clinometer or tilt meter can be a helpful tool especially in highlighting the build-up of stress and pressure in an active volcano. Explosions which are human-made seismic events like in a mini operation are included. Another one that affects the earth is the hydraulic fracturing and seismologists also use many tools to study this man-made movement.
The first tool to be used would be a seismometer which is used by all seismologists and they should learn how to use it. In the past, seismometer simply showcased the size and duration of seismic waves. You would have seen these devices before which are most likely news broadcasts showing the seismic activity before, during and after an earthquake. They usually call this a seismograph and there are many stations of these all over the world which records seismic activity always. They also record the activity and not just the show of the activity in today's seismometers which scientists would study the data more easily.
You might be surprised to learn that even 2,000 years ago in China there were actually seismographs, the very first of their kind. This ancient instrument monitored things like ground movement and wind events. This was used until in the late 19th century when Thomas Gray, John Milne and James Alfred Ewing built a more modern version of the device. Even though it did not detect the occurrence of far-away earthquakes, it provided helpful data which was the location of nearby earthquakes. Fault lines and the study of different types of earthquakes are the data that assisted the scientists.
A strain-meter is an interesting device used by scientists who are studying earthquakes and this is actually placed deep into the earth as much as 500 feet below the surface. It detects small movements under the earth's surface. The strain-meter can record changes in the earth at lower frequencies than you could with a seismometer. When they have been in place for long periods of time, they can show how stress builds up due to plate tectonics and record the release of this stress or changes in stresses after a seismic event.
Theodolites, such as those built by Warren-Knight Instrument Company, are yet another type of tool which is used commonly by the seismologist. There are other professional people who use theodolite, including surveying engineer. For seismologists, the theodolite is used to measure the creep movement or the movement that occurs in the crust of the earth as a reaction to earthquakes.
Volcanoes and man-made seismic movements are also other events that are studied by seismologists. In these instances, a clinometer or tilt meter can be a helpful tool especially in highlighting the build-up of stress and pressure in an active volcano. Explosions which are human-made seismic events like in a mini operation are included. Another one that affects the earth is the hydraulic fracturing and seismologists also use many tools to study this man-made movement.
About the Author:
Carey Bourdier enjoys blogging about precision scientific instruments. To find a top quality precision alignment instrument, or to find more details about surveying instruments, go to the WarrenKnight.com website now.
0 comments:
Post a Comment