BY : ENGR. FROILAN P.
NEY, Meng
MSC – Asst. Prof. IV
ENGINEERING SEISMOLOGY
- the study and application of seismology
for engineering purposes.
• Studying earthquake history • Studying strong ground motions
and tectonics
to assess the earthquakes that could generated by earthquakes
occur in a region and their to assess the expected shaking from future
characteristics earthquakes with similar characteristics.
It is, therefore, a link between earth
science and civil engineering.
Definitions:
1. Seismology is a scientific study of earthquakes and the propagation of elastic waves
through the Earth or through other planet-like bodies and with artificially produced
vibrations of the earth and of the internal structure of earth. It includes the study of
origin, geographic distribution, effects and possible prediction of earthquakes.
2. Paleo seismology is related field that uses geology to infer information regarding past
earthquakes
3. Seismograph is recording of earth motion as a function of time.
4. Seismoscope is an instrument that documents the occurrence of ground motion (but
does not record it over time.
5. Seismometer is an instrument that senses ground motion and converts the motion
into some form of signal accelerometer – a seismometer that records acceleration,
also known as strong ground motion geophone - another name for a seismometer,
commonly used in active source seismology
6. Seismometry is the design and development of seismic recording systems.
7. Data logger - device that converts analog to digital signal and stores the signal
Chronology of Instrumentation: 1784
1875
132 B.C 1751
Chang seismoscope Seismoscope which etched
First attempt to record ground
built in China in sand (Bina, Italy) motion as a function of time
using a series of seismoscopes First true seismograph
(Cavalli, Italy) (Cecchi, Italy)
1990’s 1969 1914
1889
First seismometer to use
Broadcast of real time electromagnetic transducer First known seismogram from
First Digital Seismograph a distant earthquake
seismic data via internet to sense ground motion
(US researchers) (Galitzin, Russia) (Rebeur-Paschwitz, Germany)
What is an earthquake?
• An earthquake is what happens
when two blocks of the earth
suddenly slip past one another.
• The surface where they slip is
called the fault or fault plane.
• The location below the earth’s
surface where the earthquake
starts is called the hypocenter,
and the location directly above it
on the surface of the earth is
called the epicenter.
Types of earthquake shock
• Sometimes an earthquake has foreshocks.
These are smaller earthquakes that
happen in the same place as the larger
earthquake that follows. Scientists can’t
tell that an earthquake is a foreshock until
the larger earthquake happens.
• The largest, main earthquake is called the
mainshock. Mainshocks always have
aftershocks that follow.
• These are smaller earthquakes that occur
afterwards in the same place as the
mainshock called aftershock. Depending
on the size of the mainshock, aftershocks
can continue for weeks, months, and
even years after the mainshock.
What causes earthquakes and
where do they happen?
• The earth has four major layers:
the inner core, outer core, mantle
and crust. The crust and the top
of the mantle make up a thin skin
on the surface of our planet.
• But this skin is not all in one piece
– it is made up of many pieces
like a puzzle covering the surface
of the earth. Not only that, but
these puzzle pieces keep slowly
moving around, sliding past one
another and bumping into each
other.
Tectonic Plates
• We call these puzzle pieces tectonic
plates, and the edges of the plates
are called the plate boundaries.
• The plate boundaries are made up
of many faults, and most of the
earthquakes around the world occur
on these faults.
• Since the edges of the plates are
rough, they get stuck while the rest
of the plate keeps moving. Finally,
when the plate has moved far
enough, the edges unstick on one of
the faults and there is an
earthquake.
How are earthquakes recorded?
• Earthquakes are recorded by instruments
called seismographs. The recording they make
is called a seismogram.
• The seismograph has a base that sets firmly in
the ground, and a heavy weight that hangs
free. When an earthquake causes the ground
to shake, the base of the seismograph shakes
too, but the hanging weight does not. Instead
the spring or string that it is hanging from
absorbs all the movement. The difference in
position between the shaking part of the
seismograph and the motionless part is what
is recorded.
How do scientists measure the size of earthquakes?
• They use the seismogram recordings made on
the seismographs at the surface of the earth
to determine how large the earthquake was A
short wiggly line that doesn’t wiggle very
much means a small earthquake, and a long
wiggly line that wiggles a lot means a large
earthquake. The length of the wiggle depends
on the size of the fault, and the size of the
wiggle depends on the amount of slip.
• The size of the earthquake is called its
magnitude. There is one magnitude for each
earthquake. Scientists also talk about the
intensity of shaking from an earthquake, and
this varies depending on where you are during
the earthquake.
How can scientists tell where the earthquake happened?
• Seismograms come in handy for locating earthquakes too, and being able to see
the P wave and the S wave is important. P waves are also faster than S waves,
and this fact is what allows us to tell where an earthquake was.
How can scientists tell where the earthquake happened?
• The P waves travel faster and shake the ground where you are first. Then the S
waves follow and shake the ground also. If you are close to the earthquake, the
P and S wave will come one right after the other, but if you are far away, there
will be more time between the two..
• P Waves alternately compress and stretch the crustal material parallel to the
direction they are propagating. S Waves cause the crustal material to move back
and forth perpendicular to the direction they are travelling.
How can scientists tell where the earthquake happened?
• By looking at the amount of time between the P and S wave on a seismogram
recorded on a seismograph, scientists can tell how far away the earthquake was
from that location.
• Scientists then use a method called
triangulation to determine exactly where
the earthquake. It is called triangulation
because a triangle has three sides, and it
takes three seismographs to locate an
earthquake. If you draw a circle on a map
around three different seismographs
where the radius of each is the distance
from that station to the earthquake, the
intersection of those three circles is the
epicenter.
Can scientists predict earthquakes?
• No, and it is unlikely they will ever
be able to predict them. Scientists
have tried many different ways of
predicting earthquakes, but none
have been successful. On any
particular fault, scientists know
there will be another earthquake
sometime in the future, but they
have no way of telling when it will
happen.
List of major earthquakes
20 largest earthquakes in the world (USGS)
List of major earthquakes
List of major earthquakes
What are these data is telling us?
List of Earthquakes in the Philippines
10 Deadliest Recorded Earthquakes in the Philippines since the 1600s
List of Earthquakes in the Philippines
Largest Earthquakes in the Philippines in the 21st Century
Causes of Earthquakes
• The Earth’s crust consists of seven large lithospheric plates and numerous
smaller plates.
Causes of Earthquakes
• These plates move towards each other (a convergent boundary), apart (a
divergent boundary) or past each other (a transform boundary).
• Earthquakes are caused by a sudden release of stress along faults in the earth's
crust. The continuous motion of tectonic plates causes a steady build-up of
pressure in the rock strata on both sides of a fault until the stress is sufficiently
great that it is released in a sudden, jerky movement. The resulting waves of
seismic energy propagate through the ground and over its surface, causing the
shaking we perceive as earthquakes.
Types of Earthquakes
Tectonic Earthquakes Induced Earthquakes
Volcanic Earthquakes Collapse Earthquakes
Sources of Earthquake Data
IRIS (Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology) is a university research
consortium dedicated to exploring the Earth's interior through the collection and
distribution of seismographic data.
Sources of Earthquake Data Temporary Networks and
Experimental Data
Seismic Data Sources:
• The Program for the Array
Permanent Networks Seismic Studies of the
• Global Seismographic Network (GSN) Continental Lithosphere
• International Federation of Digital (PASSCAL)
Seismograph Networks (FDSN • Other Sources:
• Regional Networks - United States Geological
• Virtual Network Survey (USGS)
- Seismic Equipment
Infrastructure in the
UK (SEIS-UK)
- U.S. National Ocean
Bottom Seismograph
Instrument Pool (OBSIP)
- other academic institutions.
Sources of Earthquake Data
Earthquake Data in the Philippines
At present, PHIVOLCS operates 101 seismic
monitoring stations all over the Philippines.
These stations are equipped with
seismometers that detect and record
earthquakes. Data is sent to the PHIVOLCS
Data Receiving Center (DRC) to determine
earthquake parameters such as magnitude,
depth of focus and epicenter. Together with
reported felt intensities in the area (if any),
earthquake information is released once
these data are determined.
THANK YOU!
• Be ready for our First Quiz on our next face to face classes
