How are scientists able to determine the location of an earthquake?

How are scientists able to determine the location of an earthquake?

Scientists then use a method called triangulation to determine exactly where the earthquake was (see image below). It is called triangulation because a triangle has three sides, and it takes three seismographs to locate an earthquake.

Where does an earthquake occur on the Earth?

The surface where they slip is called the fault or fault plane. The location below the earth’s surface where the earthquake starts is called the hypocenter, and the location directly above it on the surface of the earth is called the epicenter. Sometimes an earthquake has foreshocks.

How long does it take for an earthquake wave to reach the surface?

It shows travel times for waves from an earthquake at a depth of 6 kilometers. The scale starts at 1.3 seconds because the wave reaches the surface 1.3 seconds after the earthquake origin time. You can make a tracing of the scale and move the earthquake on the map until the tentative travel times match the travel times from the scale.

Why does the earthquake scale start at 1.3 seconds?

The scale starts at 1.3 seconds because the wave reaches the surface 1.3 seconds after the earthquake origin time. You can make a tracing of the scale and move the earthquake on the map until the tentative travel times match the travel times from the scale. Where do you think the earthquake was?

How is triangulation used to locate the epicenter of an earthquake?

Triangulation can be used to locate an earthquake. The seismometers are shown as green dots. The calculated distance from each seismometer to the earthquake is shown as a circle. The location where all the circles intersect is the location of the earthquake epicenter.

Where are earthquakes located in the Earth’s crust?

The tectonic plates divide the Earth’s crust into distinct “plates” that are always slowly moving. Earthquakes are concentrated along these plate boundaries.

When does an earthquake have a foreshock It is called?

Sometimes an earthquake has foreshocks. These are smaller earthquakes that happen in the same place as the larger earthquake that follows. Scientists can’t tell that an earthquake is a foreshock until the larger earthquake happens. The largest, main earthquake is called the mainshock.