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seismogram
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Three stacked line graphs display seismic data from the 1971 San Fernando earthquake near Pacoima Dam, California. The top graph shows ground acceleration, the middle shows velocity, and the bottom shows displacement, each plotted over a 25-second time span. Key peak values are marked on each graph. Two related graphs display seismic data from the 1977 Indonesian earthquake as recorded at Whiskeytown, California. The top graph (A) shows ground motion amplitude over 20 hours, with amplitude peaking early and gradually decreasing. The bottom graph (B) presents the frequency spectrum of Earth's oscillations from the same record, highlighting several prominent frequency peaks labeled 0S14, 0S19, and 0S26. Both graphs use orange lines on a yellow background.
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seismogram

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Three stacked line graphs display seismic data from the 1971 San Fernando earthquake near Pacoima Dam, California. The top graph shows ground acceleration, the middle shows velocity, and the bottom shows displacement, each plotted over a 25-second time span. Key peak values are marked on each graph.
recording of the San Fernando earthquake, 1971 Recording of the San Fernando earthquake, near Pacoima Dam, California, 1971, showing (top) ground acceleration, (centre) velocity, and (bottom) displacement.

A seismogram is the record of an earth tremor, created by a seismograph. Seismic waves, generated by events like earthquakes or explosions, travel through the Earth and along its surface. Seismographs are instruments designed to detect and measure these seismic waves.123

These instruments translate ground motions into electrical signals, which are then recorded. The resulting record, the seismogram, provides information about the Earth's structure and subsurface. Different types of seismographs exist, including short-period, long-period, and broadband instruments, each suited for recording specific types of seismic waves. Seismograms are crucial for understanding earthquakes, locating their epicenters, and even for applications like petroleum exploration and monitoring volcanic activity.3245

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6 Britannica Sources
  1. seismogram
  2. seismic wave
  3. seismograph
  4. earthquake - Locating earthquake epicentres
  5. seismograph
  6. earthquake - Seismographs and accelerometers

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