How do scientist figure out where an earthquake begins?

Answer 1

by judging the time it takes for seismic waves to reach different seismographs and using trigonometry there after.

Answer 2

Earthquakes start inside the earth and the point is called the epicenter. The feelings of a quake can be felt because the shockwave moves from the epicenter outwards. Since the wave travels at a consistent speed, scientists can calculate where it starts based on the times various locations felt the wave.

Point A might feel it sooner than point B so the epicenter would be closer to point A.

Another thing scientists use is judging different types of waves. P-Waves and S-Waves travel differently. P-Waves compact and release, S-Waves go up and down. Since we know that the earth has a liquid center, covered by a solid crust, we can judge how far down the quake started by seeing when the S-Wave and P-Waves are received. The P-Wave cannot travel through liquid so at some point on earth, only the S-Wave can be measured from the earthquake. With enough measurements, the exact depth of the earthquake can be calculated.

Answer 3

Visit my slide show to know how the seismologist find the point of origin of earthquake. This point is called focus or hypo-center. It is a mistake that the people call it as epicenter.The epicenter is the point on earth surface directly above the point of focus.The seismograph picture will give the distance ,amplitude and time of arrival of different waves only. By making use of this data from minimum three stations they can mark the point focus. But by using my invention of direction finder together with single seismograph can locate the focus. But this is approximate enough for issuing Tsunami alert. That is how I issued the alert message on 26th Dec 2004 about 2 hours before Tsunami struck our coast. It was ignored.
My Community in Orkut
http://www.orkut.com/Community.aspx?cmm=26068261
Presentation slides
http://asia.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/quake

Answer 4

Earthquakes begin with sudden or catostrophic movement of the earth usually caused by slippage or volcanic activity. Scientists can measure the time it takes for the resulting waves to reach different scismographs and by trangulation can tell the epicenter.

Answer 5

triangulation. It takes at least 3 points recording the distance of the occurance to pinpoint the earthquake.

Basicly you draw a circle at the distance the earthquake was read around the point it was read. Do this on all points that the earthquake was read and where ever all the circles intersect is where the earthquake was.

Answer 6

They measure the distance to the earthquake from several seismograph stations. Using one station tells them that it is (for example), 800 km away -- that's a sphere around that station. Using two stations gives them a circle on that sphere. Using 3 tells them where on that circle the earthquake is. Using more stations cuts down on the measurement errors.

Answer 7

During the flood of Noah's time the sun was in the sign of Aquarius. As a result of this flood the Mayan calendar was developed in hopes that the future generation could survive the next flood. Once again we will enter into the sign of Aquarius in 2012. Aquarius has been identified as the pourer of the waters that flooded the Earth in the ancient Greek version of the Great Flood myth. God made a promise never to flood the earth again but instead it shall be destroyed by fire. So, the conclusion is we don't have to worry about the earth being flooded ever again.

Answer 8

You have to have at least 3 seismic measuring stations to get an accurate location. The by using simple math and trig you can locate the epicenter.

Answer 9

It was something about a connect the dots game. I forgot.

Answer 10

by vibarations or waves