Seismometer

The seismometer measures the vibration velocities of the darmstadtium in all three spatial directions (north-south, east-west and vertical). The device detects ground movements in the range of micrometers (thousandths of a millimeter). The measurement is electromechanical, i.e. a coil and a magnet move relative to each other in the seismometer during ground movements. This creates an electrical voltage which is a measure of the oscillation. The seismometer is integrated into the measuring network of the Hessischer Erdbebendienst at the HLNUG. The data is continuously transmitted online to the headquarters in Wiesbaden, where it is automatically evaluated in real time.

On 17.05.2014 at 16:46 the underground of Darmstadt was shaken by an earthquake of magnitude 4.2 on the Richterscale. On the right you can see the corresponding seismogram with the clear rash of the quake. This example is also intended to provide a comparison to the current seismometer daily plots.