AS1 SEISMOGRAPH, A USEFUL TOOL FOR ALL LEVELS

The AS1 is a simple inexpensive seismograph capable of recording earthquakes of magnitude 5 or greater from around the world. The seismograph is easily installed and works well in the basement or on upper floors. The instrument will also detect local earthquakes as well as teleseisms. The installation of the seismograph is used to demonstrate how seismographs work and the role of the period, ground motion, and damping in the detection of the earthquake. The software used to analyze the earthquake data is AmaSeis and is available free from SUNY Binghamton. AmaSeis enables determination of distance to the epicenter, identification of phases, magnitude, and a Fourier transform of the earthquake to be calculated.

Several seismograms and computer analyses of earthquakes such as the 8.8 magnitude Japan event and the 5.8 magnitude Virginia earthquake on Aug. 23, 2011 and Oklahoma earthquakes are presented. Two seismograms of local earthquakes show the effectiveness of the seismograph to detect local earthquakes. Classroom exercises based upon earthquakes show how the seismograph can serve as useful teaching materials in earth science.