IRIS-Issued School Seismograph Helps Determine Location of Recent Illinois Earthquake

The classroom seismograph at the Da Vinci Academy, a participant in the IRIS Seismographs in Schools program, recorded the February 10 earthquake near Chicago and provided information to determine the location of this event. Rod Allen, a middle school science teacher at the Da Vinci Academy, discusses with reporters this 3.8 magnitude earthquake that was recorded on his classroom seismograph.

Suzan van der Lee, a seismologist at Northwestern University, appears on the TV program, Chicago Tonight, to explain to viewers what scientists know about earthquakes, faults, and the subsurface in Illinois. In this interview, she states that more seismometers will be installed in Illinois in 2011 as part of EarthScope's USArray. To watch this segment, click here and then scroll down in the right-hand panel to locate the "Illinois Earthquake" story dated February 10, 2010.

The CBS affiliate station in Chicago talks to Mr. Allen about how he obtained the classroom seismograph from IRIS and how this instrument makes science come alive for his students. Watch this clip here.

In a follow-up story on the same CBS station, the reporter shows the data recorded in Mr. Allen's classroom. Watch this clip here.

The seismograph in Mr. Allen's classroom is also featured in a story aired on the ABC affiliate station in Chicago. Mr. Allen reports that this seismograph is the closest one to the earthquake. Watch this clip here.

Visit the IRIS Seismographs in Schools web site to learn more about this exciting program!