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Home / IAS Preparation / Seismology

Seismology - Background, Significance, Measurement, Features and Other Details for UPSC

Last Updated on Nov 30, 2023
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Seismology is the study of earthquakes and seismic waves that travel through and around the Earth. Specialists who research earthquakes and seismic waves are called seismologists. Seismology is the scientific study of earthquakes and the behavior of Earth's interior. Seismologists use instruments called seismometers to detect and record ground motion. Earthquakes are caused by the sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust, leading to seismic waves. Seismic waves provide valuable information about the Earth's structure and composition. The point on the Earth's surface directly above the earthquake's origin is called the epicenter. Seismologists analyze seismic waves to understand the magnitude and depth of earthquakes. Studying seismic activity helps assess earthquake risk in different regions.

The topic of Seismology is particularly important from the exam point of view as questions can be asked about this topic in both the preliminary (GS Paper 1) exam and the mains examination (GS Paper 1) under Physical Geography Section of of UPSC.

In this article on Seismology, we shall discuss what it is, its history, significance, issues associated & other details. This will be very useful for aspirants in the UPSC Prelims Exam.

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What is Seismology?

It is a particular branch of geology or science that focuses on earthquake research. Investigating earthquakes and the theories that explain them is a scientific and interdisciplinary field. Seismos, which means earthquake, and logy, which means study, combine to form the word ‘Seismology’ which means study of earthquakes. The study of seismic waves, which are created when energy travels beneath the surface of the Earth in the form of waves, is known as seismology.

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Seismology: A Background History
  • People first began describing earthquakes and volcanoes in writing about 4,000 years ago. It has been 26 centuries since people first began examining earthquakes’ natural causes.
  • In reaction to the Lisbon earthquake of 1755, John Bevis and John Miehell carried out the first modern seismological examination in 1757.
  • It peaked during Robert Mallet’s dismal speeches (1862).
  • The first teleseismic record was made in Potsdam by Ernst Yon Rebeur-Pasebwitz, while John Milne and his associates in Japan constructed the first modern seismograph prototype in 1889.
  • Thanks to long-period seismographs and computers, seismology can now fully benefit from the amount of data present in seismic signals, both locally and globally (1934–1962).

Father of Modern Seismology

  • John Milne is credited with creating modern seismology.
  • As a result of his research, he was able to recognise the different P-wave, S-wave, and surface wave arrivals on seismograms.

Measurement of Seismology

There are two main instruments used in seismology which are discussed below

Seismographs

Seismographs are instruments that record the ground’s motion when an earthquake occurs. The first seismograph was developed in 1890.

Seismograms

Images of the ground trembling at the precise location where the sensor is positioned are called seismograms. On a seismogram, the horizontal axis shows time (measured in seconds) while the vertical axis reflects ground movement (usually measured in millimeters).

Also read: Causes of Tsunami here for UPSC Geography Preparation.

Role of the National Centre for Seismology
  • The National Center for Seismology is the main government organisation in India responsible for monitoring earthquake activity (NCS).
  • The National Seismological Network, under the direction of NCS, consists of more than 150 contemporary seismic stations all over the country.
  • The NCS continuously monitors seismic activity across the country, seven days a week, 24 hours a day i.e. 24 x 7.
  • In addition, by setting up a temporary observatory close to the affected area, NCS also keeps an eye on earthquake swarms and aftershocks.
  • NCS has a big role to play in the micro zonation of seismic hazard and seismological research in addition to recording earthquakes.

Some other activities of the NCS include

  • Upkeeping the information services and seismic data centre.
  • Studies on seismic hazard microzonation.
  • Earthquake monitoring and aftershock surveys using swarms.
  • To know how the earthquake occurred and predict future earthquake events in the area.

List of Seismograph Centres in India

Name of Station

State to which belongs

Allahabad

Uttar Pradesh

Asaura

Uttar Pradesh

Bisrakh

Uttar Pradesh

Bahraich

Uttar Pradesh

Jhansi

Uttar Pradesh

Meerut

Uttar Pradesh

Varanasi

Uttar Pradesh

Agra

Uttar Pradesh

Thakurdwara

Uttar Pradesh

Unchagaon

Uttar Pradesh

Lohaghat

Uttarakhand

Pithoragarh

Uttarakhand

Dehradun

Uttarakhand

Joshimath

Uttarakhand

Akola

Maharashtra

Karad

Maharashtra

Latur

Maharashtra

Mumbai

Maharashtra

Pune

Maharashtra

Nagpur

Maharashtra

Ajmer

Rajasthan

Jaisalmer

Rajasthan

Khetri

Rajasthan

Bhavnagar

Gujarat

Bhuj

Gujarat

Ayanagar

Delhi

Lodi Road, New Delhi

Delhi

Ridge, Delhi

Delhi

Bhubaneswar

Odisha

Rayagada

Odisha

Jharsuguda

Odisha

Bhakra

Himachal Pradesh

Kalpa

Himachal Pradesh

Shimla

Himachal Pradesh

Dharamsala

Himachal Pradesh

Bilaspur

Chhattisgarh

Rohtak

Haryana

Sohna

Haryana

Kundal

Haryana

Kurukshetra

Haryana

Bahadurgarh

Haryana

Kodaikanal

Tamil Nadu

Chennai

Tamil Nadu

Salem

Tamil Nadu

Jorhat

Assam

Guwahati

Assam

Dibrugarh

Assam

Tezpur

Assam

Silchar

Assam

Lekhapani

Assam

Dhubri

Assam

Kolkata

West Bengal

Siliguri

West Bengal

Jammu

Jammu & Kashmir

Srinagar

Jammu & Kashmir

Mangalore

Karnataka

Port Blair

Andaman & Nicobar

Diglipur

Andaman & Nicobar

Campbell Bay

Andaman & Nicobar

Bokaro Thermal

Jharkhand

Sahibganj

Jharkhand

Thein Dam

Punjab

Vijayawada

Andhra Pradesh

Visakhapatnam

Andhra Pradesh

Valmiki Nagar

Bihar

Goa

Goa

Hyderabad

Telangana

Agartala

Tripura

Belonia

Tripura

Gangtok

Sikkim

Kohima

Nagaland

Imphal

Manipur

Aizawal

Mizoram

Saiha

Mizoram

Tawang

Arunachal Pradesh

Pasighat

Arunachal Pradesh

Itanagar

Arunachal Pradesh

Ziro

Arunachal Pradesh

Minicoy

Lakshadweep

Thiruvananthapuram

Kerala

Shillong

Meghalaya

Bhopal

Madhya Pradesh

Seismic Waves
  • When materials unexpectedly move within the Earth, such as when they slide down a fault during an earthquake, seismic waves are produced.
  • Seismic waves can be produced by landslides, avalanches, explosions, volcanic eruptions, and even swiftly moving rivers. Seismometers can record the images of seismic waves as they move through and around the Earth.
  • Seismic waves are of two types Body waves and surface waves.
    • Body waves are those waves which travel through the Earth i.e through the body of Earth and are two types P waves and S waves.
    • Surface waves frequently move across the surface of the Earth’s crust more slowly than body waves because they have a lower frequency.

Surface Waves

A seismogram may show that these waves are distinct. As an earthquake’s depth deepens, surface waves from shallower earthquakes get stronger. Surface waves are of two types Love waves and Rayleigh waves.

Love Waves

Rayleigh Waves
  • There is no vertical displacement even if love waves and S-waves move in a similar way. In a horizontal plane and at a right angle to the direction of propagation, they cause the ground to tremble.
  • Because they create a horizontal ground motion, love waves are especially dangerous to the foundations of buildings.
  • Love waves can also cause horizontal earth fractures.
  • They move at a speed that is typically 10% slower than S-waves, somewhat quicker than Rayleigh waves, but they cannot spread over the ocean as S-waves can.
  • The phenomenon of ground roll, often referred to as Rayleigh waves, causes the earth’s surface to tremble like rolling ocean waves.
  • Rayleigh waves move both vertically and horizontally in a vertical plane and in the same general direction as rolling ocean waves.
  • Eyewitnesses claimed to have seen cars bobbing up and down like corks floating in the water during Rayleigh waves in open areas like parking lots.
  • Rayleigh waves normally move at a speed that is 10% slower than S-waves, being slower than body waves.

List of Famous Seismologists

Famous Seismologist

Important Works

Clarence Edward Dutton

The term “isostasy” was created and popularised by American geologist and pioneering seismologist Clarence Edward Dutton. This idea states that the density of the crust determines the level of the Earth’s crust.

John Michell

Seismology, or the study of earthquakes, is credited to British geologist and astronomer John Michell. He is also considered one of the fathers of Seismology.

Charles F. Richter

American physicist and seismologist Charles F. Richter developed the Richter scale to measure earthquake magnitude

John Milne

Seismological stations should be set up all across the world, according to John Milne, a prominent seismologist and geologist from England who also invented the seismograph.

Richard Dixon Oldham

British geologist and seismologist Richard Dixon Oldham found proof of the Earth’s core’s existence.

Harry Fielding Reid

In 1911, American seismologist and glaciologist Harry Fielding Reid initially put forth the elastic rebound theory of earthquake mechanics. This concept is still valid today.

Beno Gutenberg

Beno Gutenberg, an American seismologist, is well known for his examination of earthquake waves and the knowledge they provide about the physical characteristics of the Earth’s interior.

Importance Of Seismology
  • Seismology is one of the methods for learning anything about the internal structure of the earth from a pure and practical scientific basis.
  • It can determine with good precision how the Earth’s core is split into a solid inner core and a liquid outer core with the help of the data that seismograms can provide on trip times and amplitude fluctuations.
    • The type of waves that may and cannot flow through these areas provide evidence for this. S-waves (shear waves) can only pass through solids, whereas P-waves (compressional waves) can travel through both liquid and solid materials.
  • Additionally, by keeping an eye on seismic activity through the network of WWSS (Worldwide Seismological Stations), it can figure out where earthquakes originate, their depth, and what their focal mechanisms are.
  • Seismology has many practical uses in society. Site surveys for significant infrastructure, such as dams and bridges, are one of its most popular applications.
  • Shallow engineering seismology investigations are carried out to ascertain the near-surface geology’s capacity to support the huge loads that hydro dams, bridge pillars, etc.
  • The likelihood of an earthquake of a certain size that could severely damage such a crucial facility is taken into consideration when determining whether a site is suitable for a nuclear power station.
  • Passive seismic monitoring has recently been used to locate earthquakes connected to the extraction of oil and gas resources and caused by human activity.

Conclusion

Seismologists can use seismology to follow the arrival of seismic waves at seismic stations all over the world in order to gain a better understanding of the internal structure of the Earth. For example, they can draw the conclusion that the Earth’s outer core is liquid as s-waves cannot traverse it. The Earth’s seismic waves follow curved pathways (because of the increasing pressure, materials are denser towards the core, travel velocity of seismic waves increases). Seismic waves vary from their intended path due to refraction. When they strike some surfaces at an abnormally shallow angle, they reflect off of them (like the core-mantle barrier).

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Seismology FAQs

Although earthquakes cannot be reliably predicted by seismology, it has taught us a lot about the inner workings of the earth.

Geological Surveying is an example of Seismology.

The study of earthquakes and seismic waves that travel through and around the Earth is known as seismology. Seismic waves are created when materials unexpectedly move within the Earth, such as when they slide along a fault during an earthquake.

John Milne is considered to be the father of Seismology.

A technology that is capable of spotting minute ground movements. A seismometer is a gadget that can detect vibrations. It operates similarly to a pendulum by using a large, immovable object suspended from a frame by an operable spring. There is some inertia, or resistance to motion, in this large item.

Charles F. Richter and Beno Gutenberg, two American seismologists, developed the Richter scale (ML) in 1935 as a numerical gauge of an earthquake's strength. The earthquake’s magnitude is calculated using the logarithm of the amplitude or height of the largest seismic wave calibrated to a scale by a seismograph.
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