Earthquakes are constant reminders that we live on a dynamic planet. Annually earthquakes cause millions of dollars in damage and tragic loss of life. However, they also provide key insights into earth structure and active tectonic processes. Studying earthquakes is important for understanding seismic hazards in urban areas and developing appropriate responses. 

In the last twenty years we have been able to locate more earthquakes yearly because of the increasing number of seismic stations in the world and improved global communications. Today more than 4,000 stations record data worldwide. Almost 500 of these stations transmit data in real-time using satellite communications and Internet connections allowing for immediate analysis of earthquake location, magnitude, and focal mechanism. NOW, one of these stations is located on the Lehigh Campus to monitor local, regional, and global seismic activity. 

A Seismograph records ground movements caused by earthquakes, explosions, or other earth-shaking phenomena. It measures ground oscillations by recording the relative motion between a pendulum and the ground. The Lehigh Earth Observatory uses Guralp CMG-3T broadband seismometer. A 24-bit digitizer and GPS unit are attached to the sensor and data packets are transmitted serially over the campus communications lines in near real-time to the seismology lab. The station contributes data to the Lamont Cooperative Seismic Network and the US National Seismic Network operated by the US geological Survey. Data recorded by the station are used in both introductory  
and advanced classes in Earth and Environmental Sciences. 

Undergraduate students participated in all aspects of this project, from the initial planning stage and site asssesment through the installation and development phase. Students maintain, operate, and manage the seismic station on a day-to-day basis, analyze earthquake data, and serve as resources in the Lehigh Valley and Eastern Pennsylvania for  
information about earthquakes, locally as well as globally.