Seismology

This booklet is part of the ‘Innovations in Practical Work’ series published by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP) and produced in partnership with the British Geological Survey. Earthquakes release huge amounts of stored energy, causing movements of the ground over large distances. Seismic waves generated by large earthquakes on the other side of the world can be detected even in the UK and the resulting seismograms may be analysed in the classroom. The booklet includes ideas for simple practical activities that help students to understand what causes earthquakes and the principles underlying their detection.

The Seismology booklet contains an illustrated overview of the topic with suggestions for teachers on how to introduce the ideas in the classroom, plus student activity sheets and notes for teachers and technicians.
The downloadable resources include:
• Student activities: zip files containing the activity sheets in PDF and editable Word formats.
• PowerPoint presentations: these contain a complete set of the images used in the booklet and activity sheets.
To complement this publication, a seismometer has been developed by SEP and the British Geological Survey (BGS), designed specifically for use in schools for the collection of real seismological data. Further information about the use of the SEP Seismometer System can be found on the BGS website:
* School Seismology Project (BGS)

The ‘Innovations in Practical Work’ publications are supported by low-cost practical resources available from Mindsets:
* SEP publications and resources from Mindsets
* Practical resources for Seismology