Illustrated History of the Seismometer Project, 1998 - 2001
The two seismometer systems have been running continuously from 1998 with four seismometer inputs each. Displays in the front of the classroom show the output from all eight seismometers in real time. Occasionally, earthquakes occur while a class is meeting in the room, and when this happens all other instruction stops so we can, together, attempt to feel and see the motions that are evident on the screens in real time. I have even constructed a special pendulum that permits the class to observe, in real time, these small motions directly. The seismometer project has continued to provide interesting educational experiences for the students and enormous satisfaction for me.
The short-period vertical seismometer on indefinite loan from Penn State currently is not being used in the short-period system. With the exception of the one seismometer which uses a Fluke meter as an amplifier, all seven units have been running on amplifiers that I constructed. The major limitation has been the dated Apple IIe computer platform that is used to monitor the signal and display the results. Because the necessary hardware components for Apple IIe's are no longer available, my systems no longer can be reproduced elsewhere and the SAS software will not enjoy a wider utilization. If the SAS code were rewritten to run on a modern computer system, all sorts or new possibilities might emerge.