Lecture6 Locating Epicenter
Lecture6 Locating Epicenter
Lecture6 Locating Epicenter
Locating Epicenter
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Locating an Earthquake’s Epicenter
Seismic wave behavior
P waves arrive first, then S waves, then L and R
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If average speeds for all these waves is known, use the S-P (S minus P)
time formula: a method to compute the distance (D) between a recording
station and an event.
Distance
Time
Velocity
P wave has a velocity V P ; S wave has a velocity V S .
VS is less than V P .
Both originate at the same place --the hypocenter.
They travel the same distance
but the S wave takes more time than the P wave.
D
Time for the S wave to travel a distance D: TS ;
VS
D
Time for the P wave to travel a distance D: TP .
VP
The time difference
1 1 V VS
TS TP D D
VS VP
D D P
VS VP
VP VS
Now solve for the Distance D:
V V
D = P S TS TP
VP VS
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Global Travel Time Curve
1. Measure time
between P and S
wave on
seismogram
2. Use travel-time
graph to get
distance to
epicenter
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3-circle method: Steps:
D3
Assumption: Source is
relatively shallow;
epicenter is relatively
close to hypocenter.
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Locating an Earthquake’s Epicenter: Deep Source
If you gather this information from three or more points, you can figure out
the location of the focus through the process of trilateration.
Basically, you draw an imaginary sphere around each seismograph
location, with the point of measurement as the center and the measured
distance (let's call it X) from that point to the focus as the radius. The
surface of the circle describes all the points that are X miles away from the
seismograph.
The focus, then, must be somewhere along this sphere. If you come up
with two spheres, based on evidence from two different seismographs,
you'll get a two-dimensional circle where they meet. Since the focus must
be along the surface of both spheres, all of the possible focus points are
located on the circle formed by the intersection of these two spheres. A
third sphere will intersect only twice with this circle, giving you two possible
focus points. And because the center of each sphere is on the earth's
surface, one of these possible points will be in the air, leaving only one
logical focus location.
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Locating an Earthquake’s Epicenter: Deep Source
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Example Problem
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Diameter of earth = 12720 km
360o = p × 12720
1o = 111 km (latitude)
At latitude of 37.5o, longitude 1o = 111 cos 37.5 = 88 km
D = [(VpVs)/(Vp-Vs)] t
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38o
55.5 km
37.5o
55.5 km
37o
44 km 44 km
Longitude
Scale 1mm: 1 km
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38o
19.99
2 3
55 mm 29.3
41.36
27.5
37.5o
1 33
41.25
41.625
37o
44 mm
Scale 1mm: 1 km
Seismograph 1 is at latitude 37.375o , 0.375o from 37o latitude line
Seismograph 1 is at 0.375*111 = 41.625 km from 37o latitude line
Seismograph 1 is at longitude 121.875o , 0.375o from 121.5o longitude line
Seismograph 1 is at 0.375*88 = 33 km from 121.5o longitude line
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38 Distance of epicenter from 37.5o
latitude line = 28 mm
111 mm = 1o
Latitude of epicenter
= 37.5+28/111 = 37.7522o
37.5 = 37o 45’8”
Distance of epicenter from 122o
longitude line = 8.5 mm
88 mm = 1o
Longitude of epicenter
= 122+8.5/88 =122.0966o
37
= 122o5’48”
122.5 122 121.5
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Exercise Problems
1. Assuming P and S wave traveled through the crust at 6 km/sec and
3 km/sec respectively, estimate the possible location of the epicenter
P of a shallow earthquake if P forms an equilateral triangle with two
points A (10,10) and B (35, 10) on the ground surface. What is the
difference in the arrival time of P and S waves at A and B?
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References
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