The Great Invention:
Seismoscope
by Sissi Liu
Presentation
Outline
What is a seismoscope?
How does it work?
Invention and Technology
• An animation shows the procedure of
how does it detect an Earthquake.
• Earliest seismoscope
• Moderm inventions
[seismocope vs seismometer]
• The differences between a
seismometer and a seismoscope.
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What is a seismoscope?
[Seismoscope VS Seismometer]
A seismoscope is a simple instrument that detects the
occurrence of an earthquake, likely providing information
about the direction and timing of the quake as well. The
seismoscope is not a seismometer, they are different in the
way of their result.
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A seismometer (seismograph) is an instrument that
measures motions of the ground. Seismologists prefer to use
seismometer rather than seismoscope, because the range of
data they can record provides much more informations about
the earthquake. For example, different type of seismic waves,
distance from epicenter, magnitude of the earthquake, etc.
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How does a Seismoscope work?
http://www.estium-concept.com/en/computer_graphics-geology_seismoscope.htm
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Invention and Technology
EARLIEST SEISMOSCOPE
The Chinese scientist Zhang Heng invented
the earliest known seismoscope in 132 A.D.
In 134 AD December 13, this instrument
had detected its first ground motion
indicating an earthquake will occur at
western side of Luoyang (capital where
Zhang Heng lived). However, due to people
did not feel the vibration, they refused to
believe its capability of prediction, and
tried to discard it. A few days later, a
messenger reported a large earthquake
had occured at more than four-hundredmile away from the west of Luoyang. This
made both inside and outside of the court
to believe "all of its wonderful services."
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Invention and Technology
MODERN INVENTIONS
• James David Forbes invented the
seismometer in 1842.
• The first accurate seismograph in 1880
was invented by the British geographer
John Milne in Japan, he is also known as
the "father of modern seismology." He
invented a variety of devices to detect
seismic waves, one of which is a horizontal
pendulum seismic detector.
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REFERENCES
1.http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blseism
ograph5.htm
2.http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blseism
ograph4.htm
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seismometer
4. Sleeswyk AW, Sivin N (1983). "Dragons and toads: the
Chinese seismoscope of BC. 132". Chinese Science 6: 1–
19.
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THANKS FOR
LISTENING~
by Sissi Liu