Earthquake Visualizations
Compiled by Mark Francek (more info) at Central Michigan University and John McDaris at SERC.
Find animations showing seismograph operation, tsunami, P and S Waves, earthquake focus versus epicenter, and actual footage of an earthquake.
15 October 2006, Puako, HI, USA
Theoretical P-Wave Travel Times (more info) This page from the USGS displays the predicted travel times of the P-Waves originating from the 6.7 magnitude earthquake that struck near Puako, HI on October 15th, 2006. There is a table of data as well as the map visualization.
8 October 2005, Pakistan
Seismograms for 2005 October 8 (more info) This USGS page contains seismograms from more than 25 stations around the world that recorded the waves from the October 8, 2005 Pakistan earthquake.
28 February 2001, Seattle, WA, USA
Video Taken During an Earthquake (more info) This Flash movie by Exploring Earth places a human face on what it is like to actually experience an earthquake. Security cameras record what happens before, during, and after a 6.8 magnitude earthquake near Seattle, Washington. Time stamps in the lower left corner of each movie can be used to gauge quake duration.
General Earthquake Resources
Southern California ShakeOut (more info) These compelling earthquake simulations show ground movement and wave propagation as an earthquake rupture propagates along the San Andreas Fault. These simulations are from the Great Southern California ShakeOut earthquake drill conducted in 2008. The animations capture the shaking at length scales larger than about 300 ft (100 m) and provide detailed animations of the shaking for this scenario earthquake. Several different views are available. The files are QuickTime and are available in three different resolutions.
Seven Days (more info) A movie from the Southern California Earthquake Center showing two approximately magnitude 5 earthquakes that occurred within seven days in Southern California. The second earthquake is on or near the San Andreas fault and led to concern of a much larger earthquake (that did not happen).
IRIS: Seismic Monitor (more info) This site, developed by the IRIS Consortium, provides an interactive display of global seismic activity over the last five years. The data is supplied by the USGS.
How a Seismograph Works (more info) A Flash animation by W.W. Norton that first shows the arrival of seismic waves to a seismograph. Except for the immobile seismograph mass (heavy weight with pen) which does not move due to inertia, everything else shakes This includes the horizontal rotating drum upon which seismic waves will be recorded. The animation can be paused and rewound to show the arrival sequence of P, S, and surface waves.
Focus of an Earthquake (more info) This simple Flash animation by McGraw-Hill shows the relationship between earthquake focus and earthquake epicenter which is found directly above the focus. Also displayed in the animation are the fault plane, fault scarp, and fault trace.
Formation of a Tsunami (more info) This Flash animation, by McGraw-Hill, illustrates the steps involved in producing a tsunami. First, motion along a submerged fault plane causes a column of water to rise directly above the epicenter. As the wave approaches the shore, it slows, wave height grows, and wave crests grow closer together. The heightened wave then reaches the shore and can extend far inland, destroying everything in its path. Tsunami-like waves can also be caused by underwater landslides. Be sure to check out our Tsunami Visualization Collection for more.
