Acoustic Waves and Seismac

Remke Van Dam

Michigan State University

This activity has been reviewed by 2 review processes (view details)

This activity has benefited from input from faculty educators beyond the author through a review and suggestion process. This review took place as a part of a faculty professional development workshop where groups of faculty reviewed each others' activities and offered feedback and ideas for improvements. To learn more about the process On the Cutting Edge uses for activity review, see http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/review.html.

Initial Publication Date: November 21, 2011

Summary

The students will expand on their knowledge of acoustic signals (from class lectures and book readings) by watching videos and doing an in-class exercise with the seismac program.

Seismology | College Introductory

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Context

Audience

I intend to use this activity for a large undergraduate class for non-science majors, called Natural Hazards and Disasters.

Skills and concepts that students must have mastered

N/A

How the activity is situated in the course

This is a stand-alone exercise.

Goals

Content/concepts goals for this activity

Students' understanding of different types of seismic waves should improve, as should their understanding of three-component seismic records.

Higher order thinking skills goals for this activity

Analysis of time-amplitude data.

Other skills goals for this activity

Description of the activity/assignment

This is an in-class activity that does not require preparation on the part of the students. If the exercise is run with multiple computers, then students are asked to upload software onto their laptops and iphones/ipod touches.