• PENENTUAN LOKASI EPICENTER

Seismic wave velocities according to

the density of the material in which
they propagate.
P-waves travel the fastest (~6-7 km/
second) within the lithosphere. S-
waves travel ~3 km/second within
the lithosphere. Surface waves
travel with the slowest velocity.
If you know the velocity of seismeic
waves you can determine the focus
or epicenter of the earthquake using
the difference in arrival time between
P- and S-waves at a given seismic
station.
Think about two trains leaving
Olympia at 2:00 pm and travels 60
miles to Seattle. One train travels at
30 mph and the other at 60 mph.
How long will each take to travel to
Seattle? What about if they travel
120 miles? Note how the difference
in arrival time increases the greater
the distance the two trains travel.
P waves travel faster than S waves.
The farther away from the epicenter, the greater the difference in arrival time of
P and S waves.
This graph lets
a person
calculate the
distance from
the epicenter,
knowing the
time interval
between
arrival of P and
S waves.
An earthquake occurred on June 23, 1946 and these were recorded times of P
and S wave arrivals at different stations.
 0 2 37

For example, the P/S time interval in Saskatoon was 0 h, 2 min and
37 seconds.
2 minutes and
37 seconds
would
correspond to
about 1400 km.
A circle with a 1400 km radius could be drawn on a map with Saskatoon in the
middle. The epicenter would be somewhere on this circle.

Saskatoon
The procedure could be repeated for all
the other stations. The point where all 5
circles overlap would be the epicenter
of the earthquake.
In a different example, circles were drawn
around 3 seismic stations.

Eg. All 3 circles

intercept at this
point, so this
would be the
location of the
epicentre
In a different example, circles were drawn
around 3 seismic stations.

Eg. All 3 circles

intercept at this
point, so this
would be the
location of the
epicentre
If you measure the difference in arrival times of P- versus S-waves at three different
seismic stations you can determine the focus or epicenter of an earthquake using
the intersection point of the three arcs.
Triangulation of 3
stations to locate
earthquake
epicenter
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