Measuring earthquake location

Question 1

What three things are used to measure earthquake location?

Answer 1

Arrival times, triangulation, magnitude calculation

Question 2

How are arrival times used to measure earthquakes?

Answer 2

The first step is to analyze arrival times of seismic waves at different seismograph stations. P-waves are fastest and arrive first followed by S-waves and surface waves. Comparing arrival times at different stations makes it possible to determine the distance between each station and the earthquakes epicenter

Question 3

How is triangulation used to measure earthquakes?

Answer 3

using the distances determined in step 2, a technique called triangulation is employed. The distances are used to draw circles centered at each seismograph station. The point where these circles intersect is the approximate location of the earthquake’s epicenter

Question 4

How is magnitude calculation useful for earthuakes?

Answer 4

the strength of magnitude of an earthquake is determined using difference scales such as the Richter scale or moment magnitude scale. Magnitude calculations rely on the amplitude of seismic waves recorded by seismometers