Chilean earthquake makes waves in Cavan

When we see dramatic pictures on the television news about an earthquake in a far off land like Chile, little do we know that the waves from that natural disaster were recorded on a seismometer in Breifne College, Cavan. It is one of a number of Irish schools involved in Seismology in Schools, and also picked up the energy waves from the recent earthquake in Japan. The seismometer at the college records the waves that travel through the planet as a result of an earthquake. Breifne College has registered the station with The Incorporated Institutions for Seismology (IRIS). The project is being spearheaded by Tom Blake, School of Cosmic Physics at Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies (DIAS). The earthquake in Chile is classed as a 'great' earthquake registering 8.8 and is the fifth largest ever recorded. An 8.8 earthquake is approximately 1,000 times greater than that of a 7.8 earthquake. The largest ever recorded on earth was in Chile in May, 1960 at 9.6 Richter Mag. The task ahead for scientists is to use their skills to give a 30-second warning of a major earthquake. The planet earth consists of tectonic plates which are slowly moving and the Atlantic Ocean is widening a few centimetres each year. The science co-ordinator and teacher at Breifne College is Maura Maloney and the images recorded are visible on computer screens at the station in the college. A global network of schools is participating in the project and great credit is due to all involved with the innovative work at Breifne College including students Cian Connolly, Daniel Fay, David Egan and Aaron Dowd. Visit dieas.ie/sis/ and follow the links to see the global network of schools participating in the project.