Name ___________________________
Period _______
Date ____________________________
Virtual Earthquake
Go to:
www.sciencecourseware.org/VirtualEarthquake/
Read the paragraphs explaining what you will be doing in this activity. Answer the following questions, and
record your data on the computer and on this worksheet. Please note: You MUST make your measurements
very CAREFULLY to receive a certificate at the end of this activity. When you have finished reading the
introduction, click on the “Execute Virtual Earthquake” button at the bottom of the screen.
Page 1 of 12
What is the focus of an earthquake?
What is an earthquake?
What are seismic waves?
How many different seismic waves do you need to triangulate an earthquake’s epicenter?
Choose a location. __________________________________
When you have chosen a location click “Submit Choice”.
Page 2 of 12
What is meant by the “S-P interval”?
After reading the information on this page, click “View Seismograms”.
Page 3 of 12
Use the seismograms, and record the S-P interval for each seismic station. If you are not sure how to figure
this out, go back to the previous screen.
Station #1 ________________ sec.
Station #2 ________________ sec.
Station #3 ________________ sec.
When you have recorded the interval for each station, click on “Convert S-P Interval”.
Page 4 of 12
Read the description of how to use the travel time graph. Use the time on the y-axis to find the distance to
the epicenter on the x-axis. Record the epicentral distance for each station.
Station #1 ________________ km
Station #2 ________________ km
Station #3 ________________ km
When you have recorded the distance from the epicenter to each station, click on “Find Epicenter”.
Page 5 of 12
If the button at the bottom of the page reads “Re-Measure S-P Interval”, click on that button and get better
estimates of the times and distances that you have chosen and re-submit them. When you get a message that
says “Excellent Work”, answer the following questions.
Find the spot on the map where the 3 circles intersect. What is this location called?
What is city is nearest to the location of your earthquake?
When you have answered these questions and gotten your circles to intersect, click on “Compute Richter
Magnitude”.
Page 7 of 12
How big does an earthquake measured on the Richter scale have to be to be felt by people?
What is magnitude?
Which part of the wave is measured to figure out the magnitude of an earthquake?
After reading the information on this page, click “Go To Next Page”.
Page 8 of 12
What magnitude is a “standard” Richter earthquake?
How much amplitude does a “standard” earthquake have?
After reading the information on this page, click “Go To Next Page”.
Page 9 of 12
Using the seismograms, record the maximum amplitude (height) of the S-wave on the y-axis for each station.
Station #1 ________________ mm
Station #2 ________________ mm
Station #3 ________________ mm
When you have recorded the amplitude for each station, click on “Submit to Nomogram”.
Page 10 of 12
View the nomogram, and estimate the Richter magnitude for your earthquake. _____________.
When you have recorded the magnitude, click on “Confirm Magnitude”.
Page 11 of 12
If your Richter magnitude is correct, you will get a message congratulating you. If it is incorrect, you need
to go back and re-measure and re-enter your data.
After successfully completing the lab, enter the information requested for the “Certificate of Completion”.
Click “Get Certificate”.
Show your teacher the certificate so that you can get your stamp here…._____________________________