Weather Network – Small seismometers in schools to help students learn and collect earthquake data

It is likely that more schools on Vancouver Island will soon have miniature seismometers that will help students learn about tectonics and also help communities better prepare for earthquakes.

SchoolShake is a new outreach and citizen science program in which researchers from the University of Victoria and Natural Resources Canada are using data from machines placed in different schools to track small earthquakes and active faults.

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The goal is to support science education while also helping communities prepare for major earthquakes such as the expected “Great Earthquake” – a powerful earthquake that seismologists predict is likely to occur on the West Coast this century.

“By imaging or detecting lots and lots of small earthquakes, we can better understand those faults that will one day create a major earthquake that could cause a lot of damage,” said Edwin Nissen, associate professor of Earth and ocean sciences at the University of Victoria, she said on CBC’s On the Island.

“There are many, many small earthquakes, but we can only hear small earthquakes if we have a lot of these devices.”

The Raspberry Shake is a miniature seismometer that was invented a few years ago by a Kickstarter campaign. It is set in four schools in Victoria and detects small earthquakes and allows students to measure seismographs. (Gregor Craigie/CBC)

He said the miniature seismometer, called the Raspberry Shake, is a small, clear box the size of a fist. It was created a few years ago through a Kickstarter campaign that was heavily funded by professional and amateur seismologists.

“When there is a major earthquake or earthquake that people can feel, teachers will be able to look at the seismometers with their students and discuss what an earthquake is and how to locate earthquakes,” Nissen said.

Vancouver Island is located near the active borders of the Pacific Ocean, Juan de Fuca, and the North American tectonic plates. According to Nissen, these plates have the potential to cause major earthquake and volcanic activity.

“There is a good chance that a young man who grew up in Victoria now will feel a major, devastating earthquake in his life,” he said.

seismic focus ‘key’ upgrades

Nissen says data from the Raspberry Shake can also help the district make sound decisions about which schools to prioritize seismic upgrades, based on their location.

The more instruments installed, the more scientists will be able to identify small earthquakes, said Edwin Nissen, associate professor of Earth and ocean sciences at the University of Victoria. (Gregor Craigie/CBC)

About 250 schools need earthquake safety upgrades, according to the Department of Education’s Seismic Schools Needs List. Some have been waiting years for an upgrade plan.

“We need to make those seismic improvements now,” Clint Johnston, the newly elected president of the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation (BCTF), told CBC News.

“There aren’t many places in British Columbia that aren’t near a fault line, especially when you’re going around the coast and on the island. It’s really important that the buildings are seismically updated. That’s our main focus.”

“Schools are one of those community buildings that are often actually a sanctuary or a hub of activities,” he added.

Education Secretary Jennifer Whiteside said the National Party has spent $2.7 billion in the past four years opening new schools and making seismic upgrades. She says the county is committed to spending $3 billion in the next three years to continue this important work.

Each year, each of the 60 school districts in British Columbia submits a five-year capital plan, and priority plans are decided by the department.

“The county has done a great job retrofitting the old schools…but where should it focus and where should we retrofit first?” Nissen said.

He adds that the device will hopefully spark students’ interest in earth sciences.

“The sciences in school are chemistry, physics, biology, and mathematics,” he said, “but I think Earth sciences are actually very central to many of the big issues today, like climate change, landslides, wildfires, sea level rise, earthquakes.”

Nissen says the Raspberry Shake is currently being put into four schools in Victoria and aims to have it installed in 10 schools by the end of the year.

He says that if the funding is approved by the National Council for Scientific and Engineering Research, they will be able to install the devices in about 50 schools on Vancouver Island.

“The more instruments we have, the smaller earthquakes we can detect,” he said.

The story was written by Christina Jung, and originally published for CBC News. Contains files from On the Island.

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