SHAKIN' IT UP WITH SEISMOSTEM

Members of the STEM Student Union at Bergen Community College meet up periodically to work on the SeismoSTEM project, working on manufacturing, assembling, and learning more about the purpose and uses of seismometers. At first, we used a TC-1, to become acquainted with seismometers and the jAmaSeis software, a Java-based program which records and analyzes seismic signals. During the summer 2015 internship, we manufactured and assembled an AS-1 seismometer, using blueprints from Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS). We also designed and constructed a solar-powered shed that would be big enough to place both seismometers.

In order to improve the AS-1’s magnetic damping, we designed an adjustment mechanism during the summer 2016 internship. We machined parts by using the milling, drilling, and lathing machines provided by the school’s manufacturing laboratory. Finally, we acquired a Raspberry Pi 3, a low-cost, low-power microcomputer, to connect to the seismometers. To date, we have two seismometers in our blockhouse, monitoring earthquakes from around the world.

In the future, not only is our objective to build horizontal and three-axis seismometers, but to build a larger shed. If this design is successful, we plan to pour a new concrete slab to place the seismometers on and build a similar environmentally friendly solar-powered shed large enough to house not only our existing vertical seismometers, but also any additional seismometers.