1. Making Waves: Seismic Waves Activities and Demonstrations
Larry Braile, Purdue University
web.ics.purdue.edu/~braile
Sheryl Braile, Happy Hollow School
West Lafayette, IN
NSTA/CSTA Conference,
December 2014
Long Beach, CA
PowerPoint file:     

2. Seismic Waves Slinky – P, S, Rayleigh, Love waves;
Reflection and transmission; energy carried by waves; elastic rebound/plate motions and the slinky; 5-slinky model – waves in all directions, travel times to different distances.
Human wave demo – P and S waves in solids and liquids.
Seismic wave animations – P, S, Rayleigh, Love waves; wave motion; wave propagation activity.
Seismograms – Viewing seismograms on your computer (AmaSeis software).
Seismic Waves software – Wave propagation through the Earth.

3. Why use several approaches for teaching about seismic waves?
Fundamental concept (worth spending time on)
Different approaches for different settings or size of group
Different learning styles
Reinforce with more than one approach
Demonstrations, animations and hands-on activities
Use one or more approach for authentic assessment

4. Spring Extension (cm)*
Elasticity – a property of materials that results
In wave propagation and earthquakes
Added Mass (g)
Spring Extension (cm)*
(adding masses)
(removing masses)
0.0
0.3
100
3.7
3.6
200
7.7
7.5
300
11.4
400
15.3
15.1
* Difference in length of spring before and after adding mass.

6. Slinky and human wave demo and wave tank and elasticity experiments:

7. Other Characteristics
Characteristics of Seismic Waves
Table 2:  Seismic Waves
Type (and names)
Particle Motion
Typical Velocity
Other Characteristics
P,Compressional, Primary, Longitudinal
Alternating compressions (“pushes”) and dilations (“pulls”) which are directed in the same direction as the wave is propagating (along the raypath); and therefore, perpendicular to the wavefront
VP ~ 5 – 7 km/s in typical Earth’s crust;
    >~ 8 km/s in Earth’s mantle and core;  1.5 km/s in water; 0.3 km/s in air
P motion travels fastest in materials, so the P-wave is the first-arriving energy on a seismogram.  Generally smaller and higher frequency than the S and Surface-waves.  P waves in a liquid or gas are pressure waves, including sound waves.
S,   Shear, Secondary, Transverse
Alternating transverse motions (perpendicular to the direction of propagation, and the raypath); commonly polarized such that particle motion is in vertical or horizontal planes
VS ~ 3 – 4 km/s in typical Earth’s crust;
    >~ 4.5 km/s in Earth’s mantle;  ~  km/s in (solid) inner core
S-waves do not travel through fluids, so do not exist in Earth’s outer core (inferred to be primarily liquid iron) or in air or water or molten rock (magma).  S waves travel slower than P waves in a solid and, therefore, arrive after the P wave.

8. Characteristics of Seismic Waves
L,  Love, Surface waves, Long waves
Transverse horizontal motion, perpendicular to the direction of propagation and generally parallel to the Earth’s surface
VL ~  km/s in the Earth depending on frequency of the propagating wave
Love waves exist because of the Earth’s surface.  They are largest at the surface and decrease in amplitude with depth.  Love waves are dispersive, that is, the wave velocity is dependent on frequency, with low frequencies normally propagating at higher velocity.  Depth of penetration of the Love waves is also dependent on frequency, with lower frequencies penetrating to greater depth.
R,   Rayleigh, Surface waves, Long waves, Ground roll
Motion is both in the direction of propagation and perpendicular (in a vertical plane), and  “phased” so that the motion is generally elliptical – either prograde or retrograde
VR ~  km/s in the Earth depending on frequency of the propagating wave
Rayleigh waves are also dispersive and the amplitudes generally decrease with depth in the Earth.  Appearance and particle motion are similar to water waves.

9. A simple wave tank experiment – a ping pong ball is dropped onto the surface of the water; small floats aid viewing of the wave energy. Distance marks on the bottom of the container allow calculation of wave velocity. A stopwatch can be used to time the wave travel time to each distance – calculate wave velocity. Repeat measurements can improve accuracy and allow estimation of measurement error. Slow motion video can also be used to improve time measurements.

10. Seismic waves and the slinky (also, see the 4-page slinky write-up at:
P and S waves
Love and Rayleigh waves
Wave reflection and transmission
Elastic rebound
Waves carry energy
The five slinky model (waves in
all directions and different travel
times to different locations – the
way that earthquakes are located)
Seismic waves carry energy. Observe the shaking of the model building when P and S waves are propagated along the slinky.

11. The 5-slinky model for demonstrating that seismic
waves propagate in all directions and the variation
of travel time with distance.

12. The human wave demonstration illustrating P and S
wave propagation in solids and liquids.

13. The “people wave” (Dan Russell):
Wave animations
Seismic Wave animations (L. Braile)
The “people wave” (Dan Russell):
Animation courtesy of Dr. Dan Russell, Kettering Univ.

14. Dan Russell animations – Rayleigh wave
Direction of propagation
Animation courtesy of Dr. Dan Russell, Kettering University

15. Compressional Wave (P-Wave) Animation
Deformation propagates. Particle motion consists of alternating
compression and dilation. Particle motion is parallel to the
direction of propagation (longitudinal). Material returns to its
original shape after wave passes.

16. Shear Wave (S-Wave) Animation
Deformation propagates. Particle motion consists of alternating transverse motion. Particle motion is perpendicular to the direction of propagation (transverse). Transverse particle motion shown here is vertical but can be in any direction. However, Earth’s layers tend to cause mostly vertical (SV; in the vertical plane) or horizontal (SH) shear motions. Material returns to its original shape after wave passes.

17. Rayleigh Wave (R-Wave) Animation
Deformation propagates. Particle motion consists of elliptical motions (generally retrograde elliptical) in the vertical plane and parallel to the direction of propagation. Amplitude decreases with depth. Material returns to its original shape after wave passes.

18. Love Wave (L-Wave) Animation
Deformation propagates. Particle motion consists of alternating transverse motions. Particle motion is horizontal and perpendicular to the direction of propagation (transverse). To aid in seeing that the particle motion is purely horizontal, focus on the Y axis (red line) as the wave propagates through it. Amplitude decreases with depth. Material returns to its original shape after wave passes.

19. IRIS Seismographs in Schools program: http://www.iris.edu/hq/sis
You can download the animations separately to run more efficiently: ( A complete PowerPoint presentation on the Seismic wave animations is also available at:
Demonstrate the AmaSeis software for displaying and analyzing seismograms; software available at:
A tutorial on AmaSeis and links to seismograms that can be downloaded and viewed in AmaSeis available at:
IRIS Seismographs in Schools program:
IRIS Wave Visualizations:
USGS/SCEC SAF EQ Simulations:

20. (developed by Alan Jones, SUNY Binghamton, NY)
IRIS AmaSeis
Software
24-Hour Screen Display
Extracted Seismogram
The AS-1 Seismometer
(developed by Alan Jones, SUNY Binghamton, NY)

21. Stream View- The helicorder screen now has the flexibility to display up to three streams of data simultaneously. These can include a local educational seismometer, a remote educational seismometer over the jAmaseis network (in true real-time), or research-quality seismometers stored at the IRIS Data Management Center (in near real-time).

22. Teaching Modules and Tutorials for educational seismographs:
(in module 13, you can download real seismic data from past years and use with the AmaSeis program on your computer even if you do not have a seismograph)
IRIS educational seismographs web page:
The AS-1 is a portable effective classroom tool for teaching about earthquakes and the instruments that record them. The AS-1 has been loaned to many teachers through the Seismographs in Schools program. The AS-1 electronics have recently been redesigned and production is currently underway!
EQ-1 Seismograph:
TC-1 Slinky Seismograph:

23. The Seismic Waves program
From Alan Jones, SUNY, Binghamton
Earthquake *
Cross Section
Through Earth
Wavefront
Ray Path
Stations for
Seismograms
Seismograph
Ray Path is perpendicular
to wavefront

24. * * Time T1 Time T2 Cross Section Through Earth Cross Section
Earthquake *
Cross Section
Through Earth
Wavefront
Ray Path
Stations for
Seismograms
Seismograph
Ray Path is perpendicular
to wavefront
Time T2
Earthquake *
Cross Section
Through Earth
Wavefront
Ray Path
Stations for
Seismograms
Seismograph
Ray Path is perpendicular
to wavefront

25. Earth’s interior structure and seismic raypaths that are used to determine the Earth structure.

26. Making Waves: Seismic Waves Activities and Demonstrations
Larry Braile, Purdue University
web.ics.purdue.edu/~braile
Sheryl Braile, Happy Hollow School
West Lafayette, IN
NSTA/CSTA Conference,
December 2014
Long Beach, CA
PowerPoint file: