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Why do you need data from three seismographs to find the epicenter of an earthquake?
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Data from one seismometer can give you the distance to an earthquakes epicentre. When data from two stations is available, by plotting the calculated distances as a circle of known radius around the stations, these two circles will intersect in two places. Add in a third station and all three circles will intersect in the same place which is the epicentre.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoIf you have the time of reception of an earthquake at one (your) location. You can (knowing the speed of sound in rock) approximate how far away the epicenter was. Now you have no way of knowing how far away it was, only when it arrived at your location so your approximations will be guesses to begin with. Making these guess you can start drawing concentric circles on a map around your location that represent where the epicenter could be. Each circle represents the possible locations of the epicenter if the earthquake occurred at a particular time.
Now lets say there is somebody at a second location doing the same thing as you. Or lets say the two of you got together and started drawing your circles on the same map. The two of you will begin to notice that the larger circles start to over-lap - and that there are two points on each same-time circles where they intersect. These represent better approximations where the epicenter could be - but you still don't know exactly which time circle pairs to use and your possible locations for the epicenter is now an orthogonal line that all these intersection pairs make between your two locations.
Now if you have a third observer (now with the two of you) drawing concentric circles for time dependent possible location on the same map. He will (yes it is a guy, his name is Fred if you must know) start to have his circles over-lap with both your circles and the circles of the second observer. And these over-lapping pairs will define an orthogonal line between you and the third observer, and an orthogonal line between the second observer and the third observer. So you have three lines WHICH WILL ALL INTERSECT AT A UNIQUE POINT WHERE THE EPICENTER WAS.
Wiki User
∙ 9y agothe more seismographs the scientists have, the more information they have on the given earthquake. if they have just one, they only know how far away the quake is from the seismograph. if they have 2 then they know how far between it is. if they have 3 then they know its exact location
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Can geologists use data from only two seismographs to locate an earthquake's epicenter?
No. Without a 3rd peice of data from another station, there will always be 2 different possible locations of the epicenter. You must have 3 seismographs to collect the data.
What type of data do geologists use to locate an earthquake's epicenter?
Seismologists use the data from triangulated seismographs to locate an earthquake's epicenter. The difference in time between the arrival of p and s waves at a seismometer tells the distance to the epicenter of an earthquake. To get the exact location, scientists must collect data from at least three seismometers. The point where all three circles is the epicenter of the earthquake. +++ The Epicentre is generally obvious: it is the point of maximum disturbance on the surface. The centre of the actual slip is the Focus, and this has to be calculated from seismograph data by triangulating from wave velocities.
How do seismographs benefit us?
Seismology is advantageous because it can help predict earthquakes. It can also help compile earthquake statistics and data for future use.
How do seismologists use seismic waves to find the epicenter?
Yes they do. they do this because if the waves come from the earthquake, which they do. they can just trace the waves back to the earthquake and find the epicenter - You are wrong you lied its false i used the answer of True on my Unit Review test and i got it wrong plz dont lie these test are important sir take ur lies somewhere else plz thank you-Olivia
What kind of data is recorded with a seismograh?
strength of earthquakes, and when data is coordinated though multiple seismographs, the location of the quake can be pinpointed.
Can geologists use data from only two seismographs to locate an earthquake's epicenter?
No. Without a 3rd peice of data from another station, there will always be 2 different possible locations of the epicenter. You must have 3 seismographs to collect the data.
What type of data do geologists use to locate an earthquake's epicenter?
Seismologists use the data from triangulated seismographs to locate an earthquake's epicenter. The difference in time between the arrival of p and s waves at a seismometer tells the distance to the epicenter of an earthquake. To get the exact location, scientists must collect data from at least three seismometers. The point where all three circles is the epicenter of the earthquake. +++ The Epicentre is generally obvious: it is the point of maximum disturbance on the surface. The centre of the actual slip is the Focus, and this has to be calculated from seismograph data by triangulating from wave velocities.
What type of data do geologist use to locate an earthquake's epicenter?
Seismologists use the data from triangulated seismographs to locate an earthquake's epicenter. The difference in time between the arrival of p and s waves at a seismometer tells the distance to the epicenter of an earthquake. To get the exact location, scientists must collect data from at least three seismometers. The point where all three circles is the epicenter of the earthquake. +++ The Epicentre is generally obvious: it is the point of maximum disturbance on the surface. The centre of the actual slip is the Focus, and this has to be calculated from seismograph data by triangulating from wave velocities.
What type of data do geologists use to locate earthquakes epicenter?
Seismologists use the data from triangulated seismographs to locate an earthquake's epicenter. The difference in time between the arrival of p and s waves at a seismometer tells the distance to the epicenter of an earthquake. To get the exact location, scientists must collect data from at least three seismometers. The point where all three circles is the epicenter of the earthquake. +++ The Epicentre is generally obvious: it is the point of maximum disturbance on the surface. The centre of the actual slip is the Focus, and this has to be calculated from seismograph data by triangulating from wave velocities.
how do scientists determine earthquake location and how do they use this information?
Scientists use devices called Seismographs to determine the epicenter of an earthquake. If 3 or more seismographs detect an earthquake, seismic wave activity can be measured and quantified and then cross-referenced with other data (the primary and secondary seismic waves) to determine the earthquake's location.
How does a seismologist use trigonometry to measure seismic waves?
Three earthquake detecting locations, usually the three closest seismographs all record a reading for how long it took the p then s waves to get there and how strong they are. With a compass, a circle or arc is created around each station depending on its distance from the epicenter based on the data. The point where the three circles intersect to create a triangle type figure is where the epicenter is. You can then connect the three stations into a triangle and get more accurate date from the side lengths and angles to the epicenter.
What is the minimum number of seismic stations needed to determine the location of an earthquake and epicenter?
you need to have 3 seismic stations to triangulate the location of the earthquake and remember a earthquake can be from the inside of the earth but not necessarily at the epicenter because no epicenter is a straight line down.
What does data from one seismograph tell you when an earthquake occurs?
How far away the epicenter is.
What types of information can a sceintist get by studying seismographs?
Scientists can use seismograph data to locate the focus of an earthquake
How many seismograph data points are required to locate an earthquake's epicenter?
At least 3 stations are required to find the epicenter
Can geologist use data from only two seismographic stations to locate an earthquake's epicenter?
yes it can
How do you find the epicenter of an earthquake by seismic data?
By finding the arrival time of the P waves and S waves :)
