Kopiervorlage
How earthquakes are measured
Earthquakes are measured with the help of a machine called a seismograph. The
© 2013 Cornelsen Schulverlage GmbH, Berlin.
Alle Rechte vorbehalten.
seismograph records how long an earthquake lasted, where it was, in which direction
it spread and how strong it was. Scientists call the place where an earthquake starts,
that means where it is in the earth the focus or hypocentre. The waves spread from
the focus in all directions. The focus can be near the earth’s surface or deep in the
earth. The place on the surface directly above the focus is called the epicentre. It is
usually the place where most damage is done.
Whenever you read or hear about an earthquake, you are not only told where it
was but also how strong it was, that means you learn about the earthquake’s
­magnitude.
18 Scaffolding in bilingualen Modulen
Webcode: BU039142-001