As a welcome to ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ activity, students from all disciplines were invited to test their strength with a geophone activity. Geophones are used to monitor the intensity, duration, and frequency of earthquake and seismic activity.
24 geophones were placed along the lower field and were connected to a monitoring program. Students took turns hitting a metal plate with a hammer which generated waves as it traveled through the ground.
These waves were picked and detected by the geophones which created an image that revealed the depth to the bedrock beneath the ground. This kind of technique is often used in geology and geophysics to understand the subsurface characteristics of an area.
Students were also invited to speak with some of the Earth and Planetary Sciences’ current students to learn about the department’s programs, field work opportunities, and to see some of the cool rocks students have picked up on their trips.