Name: _________________________________________

GOL 105: Physical Geology

Earthquake Assignment
Objective:
This assignment is meant to give you practical experience on locating the epicenter of an earthquake and
determining its magnitude from seismogram data.

Directions:
It will be easiest if you print this sheet out onto paper and work from that, but it’s also possible to do it
completely digitally. We have provided you with three seismograms from a single earthquake. Each
seismogram is from a different location in the vicinity of the earthquake.
1) Label the P-wave and S-wave on each of the three seismograms
2) Determine the time difference between the first arrivals of the P and S waves for each location
and enter the times in the Table below.
3) Determine the distance to the epicenter of the earthquake from each of the stations using the time
difference between the P and S-wave arrivals determined in the previous step, and the two
provided graphs of arrival times verses distance. We have provided two graphs showing the
arrival times for the P and S waves verses distance from the earthquakes epicenter. Both graphs
are identical. The first is a smaller scale and covers smaller distances (thus shorter time intervals
between P and S wave arrivals) from the epicenter. The second can be used for larger distances
(thus longer time intervals between P and S wave arrivals) from the epicenter. Determine the
length along the vertical axis representing the time interval between the P and S-wave arrivals
(step 2) for each station. Then find the distance on the horizontal axis where the lines
representing the P-wave arrival and S-wave arrival are exactly that time interval from each other
ALONG A VERICAL LINE. For example, if the time interval between the P and S-wave
arrivals at a station were 20 seconds, this would correspond to a horizontal distance of
approximately 200 km (see arrows in Figure 1).
4) Locate each of the stations on the accompanying map of California. Use a compass to draw a
circle centered on each city/station with a radius corresponding to the distance determined to the
epicenter from that station. The horizontal scale in kilometers is provided on the map.
5) If you have measured drawn everything correctly and carefully, the three circles around the
stations should intersect at only one point, which will represent the epicenter of the earthquake.
(note: there are many places to make small errors in this exercise and each will add cumulatively.
If the circles do not intersect in one point, you should go back and make the measurements and
calculations again, but more carefully.)
You can use the Table provided below to organize your data. Show all work to get full credit!

Table 1
Location Time between P and S arrivals (s) Distance to Epicenter (km)

Los Angeles

San Jose

Bakersfield
Location of Earthquake (intersection of drawn circles on map):

Using the seismogram from the location Bakersfield location and the Richter scale provided at the end of
this exercise, determine the magnitude of the earthquake:
1) Plot the distance to the earthquake epicenter from the Bakersfield station on the vertical axis on
the left.
2) Measure the amplitude (in millimeters) of the highest seismic wave on the Bakersfield
seismogram from the horizontal equilibrium line (do not measure the distance from the lowest
point to the highest point of a wave, that is the wave height, not the amplitude, which should be
approximately half that distance) and plot it on the vertical axis on the right. Enter your
measured amplitude in the space provided below.
3) Connect the two point that you plotted. This line will intersect the center vertical axis, where you
can read the Richter magnitude of the earthquake. Record the Richter magnitude of the
earthquake in the space below.

Amplitude of largest seismic wave: (mm)

Richter magnitude of earthquake:

Figure 1
Figure 2
250 km total on this scale bar
Figure 3