Scorpions as Seismologists
Laura Wetzel, Eckerd College
Students investigate how seismologists and scorpions use wave travel times to locate sources of movement. The primary strength of this exercise is that it links geophysics and biology to enhance interest for ...

Earthquake! A Term Paper and Presentation Assignment
Laura Wetzel, Eckerd College
In this writing and oral presentaion assignment, students are challenged to assess a building site for a fictitious organization, the Society for Earthquake Enthusiasts. Each student must choose a historically ...

Geophysics of the News
Laurie Brown, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
The is a project to present. both orally and written, information on the Plate Tectonics setting of a geographic region in the news. Emphasis is on the geophysical studies/results from the region, but plate ...

Equation Dictionary
Jacqueline Caplan-Auerbach, Western Washington University
The equation dictionary is an expansion of the traditional notecard that students bring to equation-based tests. It requires them to provide a prose explanation for the processes described by an equation as well as ...

Finding the Moho
Stephen Boss, University of Arkansas Main Campus
This lab activity uses the Rapid Earthquake Viewer (on on-line seismogram viewer),spreadsheet software, and students' knowledge of seismic refraction principles to recapitulate Mohorovicic's classic ...

Concept puzzles about geophysical methods
Sarah Titus, Carleton College
These exercises can be used in class to insure students have a firm grasp on the concepts behind a variety of geophysical techniques and can take anywhere between 10-45 minutes.

Izmit Earthquake
Sarah Titus, Carleton College
This lab allows students to analyze earthquake seismicity from the North Anatolian fault using a variety of methods.

What is Magnitude? Earthquake Magnitude By Analogy
Scott White, University of South Carolina-Columbia
Understanding magnitude scales by analogy to distance. Students use distance as a proxy for understanding how the logarithmic earthquake magnitude scale works. Very simple class or lab exercise for introductory ...

Trans-California Seismic Profile Analysis
Magali Billen, University of California-Davis
Homework assignment focused on identifying seismic arrivals and determining layer thickness and velocity using real-world data from a published article.

Earth Motion Monitor
Charles Ammon, Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
An activity based around the display near real-time seismograms in the classroom.