Early seismometers had an arrangement of levers on jeweled bearings, to scratch smoked glass or paper. This device is called a "force balance accelerometer". As the ground moves, the weight stays unmoving, swinging the "gate" on the hinge. A heavy weight is mounted on the point of a long (from 10 cm to several meters) triangle, hinged at its vertical edge. His most intriguing design, created almost 2000 years ago was the design of the first earthquake sensing device invented. Seismometers monitor the earth's movement and can detect and measure aftershocks. Unfortunately, Earth is not transparent and we can't just see or photograph the earthquake disturbance like meteorologists can photograph clouds. This can be mathematically Strong motion sensors are used for intensity meter applications. Monitoring earthquakes across the United States; 1997; FS; 146-97; Buland, Ray P.; Benz, Harley Mitchell; Brown, William M. It might seem logical to make the heavy magnet serve as a mass, but that subjects the seismograph to errors when the Earth's magnetic field moves. The earliest "seismoscope" was invented by the Chinese philosopher Chang Heng in A.D. 132. If only one axis is measured, it is usually the vertical because it is less noisy and gives better records of some seismic waves.The technical discipline concerning such devices is called The concept of measuring the "shaking" of something means that the word "seismograph" might be used in a more general sense. This was a large urn on the outside of which were eight dragon heads facing the eight principal directions of the compass. An earthquake has one magnitude. The mass tends not to move because of its Early seismometers used optical levers or mechanical linkages to amplify the small motions involved, recording on soot-covered paper or photographic paper.
A "Helicorder" drum was a device used to record data into photographic paper or in the form of paper and ink. The Leonardo da Vinci of ancient China was Zhang Heng (79-139AD) an inventor, astronomer, engineer, scientist, scholar and artist. Each seismic station in the network measures the movement of the ground at that site. The links here are to various sources with information on how to build a seismometer. A seismograph is securely mounted onto the surface of the earth so that when the earth shakes, the entire unit shakes with it EXCEPT for the mass on the spring, which has inertia and remains in the same place. A seismograph is also sensitive to changes in temperature so many instruments are constructed from low expansion materials such as nonmagnetic The hinges on a seismograph are usually patented, and by the time the patent has expired, the design has been improved. Briefly, some designs returned to mechanical movements to save money.

There are two ways to think about the duration of an earthquake. The reading and measuring from these types of media can be done by hand. How does a seismoscope work? Zhang Heng, Wade-Giles romanization Chang Heng, (born 78 ce —died 139), Chinese mathematician, astronomer, and geographer.

This type of system uses events such as earthquakes, Seismographic systems used for petroleum or other mineral exploration historically used an explosive and a wireline of Small seismic imaging systems are now sufficiently inexpensive to be used by civil engineers to survey foundation sites, locate bedrock, and find subsurface water.