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Each circle is actually the radius around a reporting station. To find an earthquake's epicenter, you need at least three reporting stations. The radius around each station should meet at one point, the epicenter. This point should be about the size of a town, depending on how close or far the reporting stations are. With any less than three reporting stations, the exact point of the epicenter may not be located.

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Q: Why do three circles show the epicenter of an earthquake?
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How do scientists prevent and warn tsunamis?

If the tsunami is the result of an earthquake, then scientists take three locations that the earthquake hit. They find a radius by finding out how long it took for P waves and S waves to hit the land. Once they've drawn circles, calculated by the radius, around all three locations there is an epicenter. This is where all three circles intersect. They then have seismographs that show the damage of the earthquake by a Moment Magnitude Scale. Then they predict that a tsunami will follow shortly after and they warn the countries in danger.


How Can seismic be used to determine an earthquake epicenter?

Like a polyghraph squiggles show the techtonic plates moving.


Explain the focus and the epicenter?

the focus is below the epicenter. the epicenter is where the focus is but on the surface. the focus is below the surface, it ranges in the depth. they show you the epicenter on the news, not the focus.


How do scientists work out the epicentre of an earthquake?

S-waves and P-waves emit from the focus (epicenter) at the same time, yet one of them is faster than the other. therefore the S waves and P waves are directly proportional to each other. So all one needs is to do the math and trace the distance between the waves and there, you have found the Focus (epicenter) of the earthquake.


How can seismic waves be used to determine an earthquake's epicenter?

The epicenr can be found by location the sound in the waves carried.


Briefly describe how the epicenter of an earthquake is located?

With the help of seismograph you can find arrival time of secondary wave and primary wave. The difference in time in seconds multiplied by 8 will give you the distance of focus the starting point of earthquake. Even though the speed of these waves differs according the geographical condition the difference in speed is almost constant and it is 8 k/m per second. Therefore you can draw a circle from that station .The focus point should be some where on the circumference of the circle. When you get the data from other seismic station you can draw another circle from that station that will cut the previous circle in two points .One among the two point must be the focus point. When you draw the circle in the same way from third station this will pass through one among the two meeting point of the previous circles. This point is focus.The imaginary point just above focus on earth is the epicenter. To have clear idea about this visit my slide show .I have also found a new method to find the epicenter from single station using my direction finder to gether with seismograph.It is approximate quite enough to issue Tsunami warning. I have issued the warning 2 hours before Tsunami struck our Indian coast but it was ignored. My web site . please be patient to down load .


How do people now about earth layers?

From earthquake waves. There are 2 types of waves, p or primary waves and s or secondary waves that are generated when an earthquake occurs. Both types of waves move away from the epicenter of the earthquake in all directions including "down" through the layers of the Earth under the epicenter. Both waves start out at the same time from the same spot, but P waves move through the earth faster, hence the name primary waves. The farther the earthquake monitoring equipment is from the epicenter the bigger the lag time between when the p and s waves arrive. Monitoring stations on the side of the Earth opposite the epicenter do not receive any S waves. This is because S waves only move through solids so when the S waves hit the liquid outer core, the energy from these waves dissipates. When you move out far enough perpendicularly from the epicenter, S waves show up again on monitors. By overlapping these "shadow zones" from multiple quakes around the world, the depth at which the liquid outer core begins can be determined.


What do geologists use to locate a earthquakes epicenter?

The S-P time method is perhaps the simplest method seismologists use to find an earthquake's epicenter. +++ No it's not. That finds its Focus. The Epicentre is the point of maximum movement on the land surface above the slip itself.


Do ufo's or aliens make crop circles?

Yes, they make crop circles to show their message to us and decode it


What three things do closed circles represent on a topographical map?

The circles themselves represent elevation, the disatnce between the circles(elevation points) show distances between elevations, therefore showing you rate of elevation increase/decrease, also.


Can you show a picture of an Earthquake?

bava couf show me the pic of an earth quake


What is the difference in a regular land map and an earthquake map?

A regular land map will show landmarks and natural features such as mountains, plateaus, islands, etc. An earthquake map will show tectonic plate faults and earthquake danger zones.