Acceleration recorder
An acceleration recorder or accelerograph is a measuring device ( acceleration sensor ) in connection with a recording device for earthquakes ( seismograph ), which is used for the measurement and registration of strong earthquakes. Such measuring devices are housed in a compact box and today usually have a connection to the Internet .
Accelerometers are useful in cases where the ground movement caused by earthquakes is so strong that the measuring range of more sensitive seismometers is exceeded. A branch of earthquake science dedicated to the study of strong ground movements due to earthquakes is dedicated to the installation of accelerometers in the vicinity of larger faults . The data measured in this way, such as the speed at which the fault ruptures, could not be obtained with normal seismometers. The best-known example of such investigations is the Parkfield experiment , in which numerous accelerometers were set up near a section of the San Andreas Fault where a major earthquake was expected, which occurred on September 28, 2004.
In the acceleration recorder, three acceleration sensors are arranged perpendicular to each other, today mostly manufactured as micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). In this arrangement, each of the sensors only measures one direction of the acceleration that occurs. The three-dimensional movement of the device can then be reconstructed from the individual measurements.
In contrast to the continuously recording seismometer, the recording of acceleration recorders is almost always triggered by an earthquake itself. For this purpose, when the device is activated, an acceleration threshold is set at which the recording starts. Without a direct internet connection or similar means of accessing the device remotely, it is difficult to maintain such a device. Many trips have been made to accelerometers after major earthquakes, only to find out that the memory was filled with unimportant data, or that the device was malfunctioning.
Accelerometers are also used to monitor the response of buildings or other structures to earthquakes. With the data obtained, the vibration behavior of a building is calculated in some cases. In addition, the analysis of such data is used to improve building planning or to identify earthquake-sensitive structures in earthquake areas or otherwise safe areas.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Natural Resources Canada, Earth Sciences Sector: Technical Details on the GSC's Internet Accelerograph ( Memento of the original of March 11, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ The Parkfield, California, Earthquake Experiment website of the United States Geological Survey
- ^ How they work: MEMS (Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems) Technology
