EarthRef.org Digital Archive (ERDA) -- Earthquake Lesson: Quake-Catcher Network Magnitude and Intensity Lab

Description
This activity describes the differences between an earthquake¿s magnitude and intensity and then has students experiment with the Quake-Catcher Network sensor to explore these concepts. Earthquake magnitude is a property of the earthquake itself, and does not change for a given earthquake regardless of where the earthquake is recorded. A measure of intensity describes the ground motion felt at a given location and varies spatially for a given earthquake.

Instructions
This activity is intended to be used after the previous lesson (Introduction to the Quake-Catcher Network and Lab). We recommend attempting this activity in the classroom ahead of time prior to having the students complete the worksheet because some types of flooring may prevent the activity from producing the expected results. The accompanying slides can be used in advance or as follow-up material, and include a link to a magnitude applet online to demonstrate how the magnitude of an earthquake can be measured from seismograms.