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Is the process used by seismologists to locate earthquake epicenters perfect?
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
No, it is an imperfect process. Mainly because in order to locate the earthquake epicentre it is necessary to calculate the distance of the epicentre from the seismometer stations that recorded the seismic waves.
To do this, it is necessary to know the velocity of the P and S seismic waves through the Earth's crust. This velocity is in turn dependent on the density and elastic moduli of the material that the seismic waves travel through. As the Earth is formed from a very wide variety of rocks that have different properties and have undergone differing levels of deformation as well as chemical and other physical changes, the relevant properties can be very variable. Because of this, seismologists cannot know the exact nature of all the material that the seismic waves must travel through and therefore have to create simplified models of the ground in order to estimate the seismic wave speed and in turn estimate the distance to the epicentre.
This approximation and simplification will introduce an error into the result and this will mean that the position of the epicentre will be approximate.
Normally the margin of error will be quoted along with the best estimate of the location.
Please see the related questions for further information on seismic wave velocity and how seismologists estimate the location of an earthquake's epicentre.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
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Certainly. No manufacturing process is perfect.
The process in which the violent shaking of an earthquake turns soft soil into liquid mud is called what?
liquifaction
How are earthquakes predicted?
Seismologists prefer to attempt to quantify the risk posed by a particular fault zone rather than state exactly when an earthquake will occur (as this is currently impossible). In order to assess the risk of an earthquake posed by a given fault it is necessary to understand what causes earthquakes in the first place. In simple terms they are caused by a build up of deformation in the Earth's crust which stores energy. When the stress becomes too large, exceeding the strength of the rock, the fault zone suddenly slips and all the energy is released in one instant in the form of an earthquake. As such, seismologists will attempt to measure the movement of the crust around a fault zone to estimate the total strain that has accumulated. This measurement is often made using high precision GPS to measure relative positions of surface features around the fault zone. They may also use terrestrial laser scanning equipment which can measure changes in the ground shape (recording deformation) or by using a special form of radar and a technique called synthetic aperture radar interferometry (InSAR for short). This process essentially involves the use of a radar to create a series of very accurate relief maps of the ground surface over time and then to compare the maps to create a final plot showing the changes between them which is a record of the land surface deformation. They may also use strain gauges and tilt metres within boreholes to observe ground deformations as well as a technology known as time domain reflectometry which is an electrical technique used to locate damage and deformation in electrical cables and which in turn can be used to measure subsurface deformations. Using this information and an estimate of the strength of the rock mass, seismologists will attempt to quantify the likely risk of occurrence of an earthquake on that fault zone. For example, seismologists had warned that a magnitude 7.0 or greater event was expected to occur on the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault system (which caused the very destructive earthquake which affected Haiti in January 2010) due to the accumulated strain that had built up, however they were not able to state exactly when it would occur.
How do Global Positioning Systems help predict earthquakes?
They don't and can't. Meteorologists predict the weather, which is not related to earthquakes. Seismologists predict earthquakes, but mostly only in general terms, such as "30% chance of a magnitude 6 or greater earthquake on this section of this fault within the next 30 years."
What is the process in which shaking causes soil to act like a liquid?
Violent shaking can cause certain soils to flow. The shaking results from a nearby earthquake.
What is the process of making buildings more earthquake resistant?
Retrofitting is the process of making older structures more earthquake resistant.
How does the earthquake process?
because of the two plates crushing together, it forms earthquake
Is earthquake a natural process?
yes
What is the process called that makes older structures more earthquake resistant?
Retrofitting is the process of making older structures more earthquake resistant.
What is the process where a soft soil turns into liquid mud during an earthquake called?
Liquefaction is the process by which mud behaves like a liquid during an earthquake.
What makes a man perfect?
A man is perfect by striving to be perfect. Perfection is a process.
Is an earthquake fast or slow process?
It is a fast, because it will be over in hours.
Wha is an earthquake a constructive and destructive process?
because it destructs thing
How does the process.?
because of the two plates crushing together, it forms earthquake
The epicenter of an earthquake can be located by a process called?
Triangulation. For more information on this process, please see the related question.
What process occurs when an earthquake's shaking turns loose soil into mud?
the answer is liquefaction
What process usually causes the most gradual change in Earth's surface?
An earthquake
