Classroom seismometer installed at Christchurch school

&NewLine;<p><img class&equals;" alignright size-full wp-image-1041" src&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;schoolnewsnz&period;fastrackdev&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2014&sol;09&sol;SND07-wk1-Seismometer&lowbar;300x225&period;jpg" alt&equals;"SND07-wk1-Seismometer 300x225" style&equals;"margin&colon; 5px&semi; float&colon; right&semi;" width&equals;"300" height&equals;"225" &sol;>An earthquake monitoring device for schools has been installed at Rangi Ruru Girls&&num;8217&semi; School in Christchurch as part of a University of Auckland outreach programme to show high school-aged students the wonders of science&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p> <&excl;--more--> <&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The monitoring device&comma; called the TC1&comma; was designed and developed by Department of Physics senior lecturer Dr Kasper van Wijk in collaboration with Boise State University in the US&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The vertical seismometer sits within a glass case so that its inner workings can be clearly seen and it registers earthquakes of 4 and higher locally&comma; and 6 or higher worldwide&period; It follows the principle of open hardware and software so that schools can install them themselves&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Dr van Wijk says the beauty of the seismometer is its simple and sturdy design&comma; joking that it is suitable for &&num;8220&semi;kids of all ages&comma; from five to 80&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;More traditional seismometers are horizontal while the TC1 is vertical but we needed a device that could withstand a bit of rough and tumble in the classroom and this one is simple and robust while also having a meaningful level of detection&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Seismic activity is displayed on a large screen&comma; with vertical lines jumping suddenly to show earthquake activity&period; Groups of people jumping in unison are able to watch the screen register violent motion&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The seismometers are being installed in schools nationwide through the University of Auckland&&num;8217&semi;s Seismometers in Schools programme&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;This device is able to give students a real sense of how data works in real-time and is really valuable in teaching the geophysics behind earthquakes and the sensors that detect them&comma;&&num;8221&semi; Dr van Wijk says&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Rangi Ruru principal Julie Moor says the partnership with the university is an exciting one and important in encouraging girls to see science as a viable and exciting career&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;