Introduction to Seismology

Lupei Zhu

FALL 2004 EASA-130 Seismology and Nuclear Explosions

 Topics
What is seismology?
Seismic sources and waves
Seismic stations and seismograms
Global earthquake distribution
Spatial distribution
Seismic hazard
A brief history of seismology
Development in instrument
Major discoveries about Earth interior by seismology
SLUs contribution
What is the relationship between seismology and
nuclear weapons?
Introduction to Seismology
 What is Seismology ?
Seism- or seismo-, from Greek seismos,
means earthquake, vibration.
Seismology is a science that deals with
earthquakes and with naturally/artificially
produced vibrations of the earth.

Introduction to Seismology
 Seismic Sources
The most common sources of earth
vibration are earthquakes, however there are
lots of other sources including:
Explosions (chemical and nuclear)
Landslides

Volcanic eruptions
Weather (wind, surf, storms)

Cultural noise (traffic, supersonic aircraft, etc.)

Introduction to Seismology
 Seismic Waves
The vibration, or disturbance, generated by
the seismic source propagates outward in
the form of seismic waves.
See 'P' and 'S' waves explored

Introduction to Seismology
 Seismometer
an instrument that
senses ground
motion and converts
the motion into some
form of signal.

Introduction to Seismology
 Seismograph
a system of instruments that detects and
records ground vibration. See example

A seismic station
hosts one or more
seismographs

Introduction to Seismology
 Seismogram
An actual record of ground motion produced
by a seismograph.

Introduction to Seismology
 Seismicity
The relative frequency and distribution of
earthquakes.

Introduction to Seismology
Seismic Hazard

Introduction to Seismology
A Brief History of Seismology
Earthquakes have been a
major hazard to mankind.
Many early civilizations
kept description of large
earthquakes, in forms of
writing (e.g. Chinese) or
story-telling (e.g. Indians).
The worlds first
seismoscope was
constructed by Chang
Heng of China in 132 AD.

Introduction to Seismology
A Brief History of Seismology
1822: Poisson derived that there
are two types of waves, P- and S-
waves, in solids.
The first true seismograph was
invented by Cecchi of Italy in
1875.
The first seismometer that use a
electromagnetic transducer to
sense ground motion was
invented by Galitzin of Russia in
1914.

Introduction to Seismology
A Brief History of Seismology
1909: Mohorovicic
discovered a major interface
in the Earth that separates
the crust from the mantle. It
was named after him
(Moho).
1914: Gutenberg discovered
the liquid core of the Earth.
1936: Lehmann identified
the solid inner core.
1956: Bullen established the
first layered model of the
Earth.

Introduction to Seismology
 SLUs Contributions
The first SLU seismometer was installed in 1909 (in
basement of DuBourg Hall)
It was part of the first North American seismological
network the Jesuit Seismological Network
The first geophysics department in the Western
hemisphere was established at SLU in 1925, by J.B.
Macelwane, S.J.
At SLU in 1948 Florence Robinson became the first
woman geophysicist to obtain a PhD in North America

Introduction to Seismology
SLUs Contributions

Introduction to Seismology
Seismology and Nuclear Weapons
With the testing of the first nuclear weapon
(Trinity on July 16, 1945) it became clear
that seismometers could record the
vibrations created by such devices
Trinity was detonated in New Mexico, on a
tower about 50 ft high, and yet it was
seismically recorded hundreds of kilometers
away (in St. Louis!)

Introduction to Seismology
Seismology and Nuclear Weapons
Thus, there existed the possibility of using
seismic data to tell when a nation had
detonated a nuclear device and how much
energy it had released.
Throughout the 1950s it became
increasingly clear that aboveground nuclear
explosions caused significant environmental
contamination

Introduction to Seismology
Seismology and Nuclear Weapons
Ultimately this led to the signing of the
1963 Limited Test Ban Treaty that outlawed
all aboveground weapons testing.
With only buried tests being conducted,
other detection methods such as infrasound,
hydroacoustic, and electromagnetic
monitoring, became less effective, making
seismology more important.

Introduction to Seismology
Seismology and Nuclear Weapons
This spawned the first global network of uniform
high quality seismometers.
This network was known as the World Wide
Standard Seismograph Network (WWSSN).
It was upgraded to form the Global Seismic
Network (GSN) with modern instruments in 80s
Verification seismology remains just as important
today as it was during the arms race between the
Soviets and the US in the 1960s and 1970s

Introduction to Seismology
Seismology and Nuclear Weapons

Introduction to Seismology
Seismology and Nuclear Weapons

Introduction to Seismology
Seismology and Nuclear Weapons

Introduction to Seismology