HOW WAS THE SEISMOGRAPH INVENTED?
The seismograph is an instrument that has an ancient history which underwent several transformations over the ages before it became the instrument we know today. The first inventor of an instrument that could record earthquakes was Zhang Heng, who made the seismograph, an extraordinary mechanical device that could detect earthquakes.
WHO INVENTED THE FIRST SEISMOGRAPH?
The first attempt to record and measure earthquake tremors dates back to 132 AD, about 1700 years before the invention of the first European seismograph. It was the invention of the seismocope by Chinese scientist, Zhang Heng and it worked in a very ingenious way. An elegant amphora containing a pendulum began to swing when the ground shook. By swaying, the pendulum moved small levers placed all around the sides of the amphora. These small levers opened the mouth of a dragon dragon containing a small ball. As the dragon’s mouth opened, the ball fell into a vessel below making a metallic noise. The amphora had eight dragons arranged all around it. The direction of the earthquake could be detected by noting which of the balls fell.
The first real seismograph was, however, invented in 1751 by Father Andrea Bina,father of Perugia. It was a pendulum seismograph consisting of a heavy mass attached to the ceiling by a rope. Free to oscillate, it had a stylus at the end whose tip sank into a tray containing some sand.Father Bina’s seismograph was able to record the characteristics of an earthquake, thanks to the grooves left in the sand.
HOW WAS THE MODERN SEISMOGRAPH INVENTED?
Over the centuries, scientists from all over the world have worked to perfect the instrument. There were analogue and electromagnetic seismographs.
It was in the 1990s, with the advent of modern technologies, that the seismograph underwent a real revolution. The introduction of electronics and computers made it possible to record and analyse data more quickly and efficiently, providing scientists with vital information to understand and study earthquakes.
Today, the seismograph is a fundamental tool for the safety and protection of people. Scientists can constantly monitor seismic activity around the world, providing timely warnings and helping to save lives.
The main earthquake detection station in Italy is currently located at theINGV (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia), founded in 1999, where surveys of all the main stations in Italy arrive.