Name_______________________________________________________ Everyone turns in a copy

7th Gr Science
Finding the Epicenter Virtual Lab
Objective: I will be able to determine the epicenter of an earthquake using seismograph readouts and a distance graph.

Directions: You may work with an elbow partner or table groups of three to complete the simulation.
Everyone takes turns on the computers. Please turn in this paper when done.

Go here: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/geology/chapter/reading-seismic-waves/

Read the passage at the first website and then to to:

glencoe.com/sites/common_assets/science/virtual_labs/ES09/ES09.html You may need to “allow” adobe flash
player to see the simulation.

Follow the simulation directions given in the reading portion on the left
side of your screen. An example is given below.

Once you have selected and recorded an epicenter in the chart below,
follow the steps given and I marked 1-5 on the image to find the distance
from the epicenter to draw a ring. Where the distance rings from each
station to the epicenter intersect, is the location of the earthquake
epicenter.

1. Find the P wave arrival time.

2. Find the S wave arrival time.
3. Subtract: S wave time – P wave time = Difference in Arrival Time. Record the Difference in Arrival Time in the
chart below.
4. On the distance graph, locate the
Difference in Arrival Time on the Y
axis. Find where the Difference in
Arrival Time intersects the red line.
Follow the intersection point to the
X axis to find the Distance from the
Epicenter. Record the Distance from
the Epicenter in the chart.
5. Click on the compass pencil and
drag the pencil to the Distance from
the Epicenter found in step 4.

TADA! Circle drawn. Repeat these steps

for each seismogram station.

Click on Check to see if you found the

Epicenter.

Then go on to try other earthquakes.

 Station Difference Arrival Times (min and sec) Distance from the Epicenter (km)

Epicenter Locations:

Station Difference Arrival Times (min and sec) Distance from the Epicenter (km)

Epicenter Locations: