11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
[G01-P03] Earthquake Early Warning Mechanism Experiment Using Plarail-Aiming to Improve Disaster Information Literacy for Junior High School Students
Keywords:Earthquake Early Warning, Plarail, Disaster Information Literacy
The Earthquake Early Warning is a seismograph deployed nationwide by the Japan Meteorological Agency, etc. which detects the occurrence of an earthquake and instantly estimates and transmits the location and scale of the earthquake, rather than the arrival of strong earthquake tremors. It is a system that delivers information that an earthquake will shake soon. In order to properly utilize the Earthquake Early Warning, it is necessary to understand the characteristics of the Earthquake Early Warning well and to prepare on a daily basis so that appropriate response actions can be taken immediately when the Earthquake Early Warning is received (the Japan Meteorological Agency web page).
All five junior high school science textbooks currently in use mention Earthquake Early Warnings. After learning about P-waves and S-waves, the description of Earthquake Early Warnings is written in the form of columns. In order to properly use Earthquake Early Warnings, it is necessary to "understand the characteristics of Earthquake Early Warnings". For this purpose, the speakers think that the experimental teaching materials are important.
Therefore, using a familiar material called Plarail, we have developed teaching materials for junior high school students to visually understand the characteristics of Earthquake Early Warnings.
The experimental system consists of two vehicles with a Plarail transmission, a straight Plarail (about 2 m in length), a bell, a switch, a battery, an electric wire, and a light bulb. The model of Akita Shinkansen Komachi was used as the vehicle of Plarail. This model can change the speed in two stages, ca.28 cm / s in high speed mode and ca.18 cm / s in low speed mode. Let one of the vehicles be in high speed mode and be a P wave model, and one in low speed mode be an S wave model. The rails run in two rows in parallel, and a bell instead of a seismograph is set on one side. When the vehicle passes by, it hits this bell and makes a noise. Also, by wiring the switch, battery, and light bulb with electric wires and turning the switch on manually, the light bulb instead of the Earthquake Early Warning lights up.
There is a time lag between when the vehicle (P wave) rings the bell and when the switch is turned on manually, but the computer of the Japan Meteorological Agency calculates the location and scale of the earthquake, and finds the time, epicenter, and scale. It is regarded as the time required to acquire seismic wave data for 2 to 3 seconds or more after the earthquake is detected (Takano, 2011)). After the light bulb lights up, the S wave model vehicle passes by. By changing the position where the light bulb is placed, the distance from the epicenter and the time from the arrival of the Earthquake Early Warning to the arrival of strong shaking can be changed.
By learning this model, as the distance between the place where the earthquake occurred and the point where you are is increasing, the area where the seismic wave arrives earlier than the Earthquake Early Warning, there is almost no grace from the arrival of the Earthquake Early Warning to the strong shaking. It can be seen that there are areas where there is no earthquake, and there are places where there is time to spare from the arrival of the Earthquake Early Warning to the start of strong shaking. Combined with previous learning about earthquakes, it can be understood that there is a high possibility of large tremors in areas where seismic waves arrive earlier than Earthquake Early Warnings.
In the Great East Japan Earthquake, when the warning was announced, both the scale and seismic intensity of the earthquake were underestimated, and the subsequent information showed that the scale and seismic intensity grew significantly (Takano, 2011). Is unfortunately difficult.
By conducting such learning, it is possible to understand the characteristics of Earthquake Early Warnings. By knowing how the shaking of the earthquake and the timing of the arrival of the Earthquake Early Warning change depending on the distance from the epicenter, it is possible to improve the reading ability of the Earthquake Early Warning.
Unfortunately, due to the new coronavirus, we have not been able to practice education at junior high school sites. In the future, we plan to demonstrate the educational effect.
All five junior high school science textbooks currently in use mention Earthquake Early Warnings. After learning about P-waves and S-waves, the description of Earthquake Early Warnings is written in the form of columns. In order to properly use Earthquake Early Warnings, it is necessary to "understand the characteristics of Earthquake Early Warnings". For this purpose, the speakers think that the experimental teaching materials are important.
Therefore, using a familiar material called Plarail, we have developed teaching materials for junior high school students to visually understand the characteristics of Earthquake Early Warnings.
The experimental system consists of two vehicles with a Plarail transmission, a straight Plarail (about 2 m in length), a bell, a switch, a battery, an electric wire, and a light bulb. The model of Akita Shinkansen Komachi was used as the vehicle of Plarail. This model can change the speed in two stages, ca.28 cm / s in high speed mode and ca.18 cm / s in low speed mode. Let one of the vehicles be in high speed mode and be a P wave model, and one in low speed mode be an S wave model. The rails run in two rows in parallel, and a bell instead of a seismograph is set on one side. When the vehicle passes by, it hits this bell and makes a noise. Also, by wiring the switch, battery, and light bulb with electric wires and turning the switch on manually, the light bulb instead of the Earthquake Early Warning lights up.
There is a time lag between when the vehicle (P wave) rings the bell and when the switch is turned on manually, but the computer of the Japan Meteorological Agency calculates the location and scale of the earthquake, and finds the time, epicenter, and scale. It is regarded as the time required to acquire seismic wave data for 2 to 3 seconds or more after the earthquake is detected (Takano, 2011)). After the light bulb lights up, the S wave model vehicle passes by. By changing the position where the light bulb is placed, the distance from the epicenter and the time from the arrival of the Earthquake Early Warning to the arrival of strong shaking can be changed.
By learning this model, as the distance between the place where the earthquake occurred and the point where you are is increasing, the area where the seismic wave arrives earlier than the Earthquake Early Warning, there is almost no grace from the arrival of the Earthquake Early Warning to the strong shaking. It can be seen that there are areas where there is no earthquake, and there are places where there is time to spare from the arrival of the Earthquake Early Warning to the start of strong shaking. Combined with previous learning about earthquakes, it can be understood that there is a high possibility of large tremors in areas where seismic waves arrive earlier than Earthquake Early Warnings.
In the Great East Japan Earthquake, when the warning was announced, both the scale and seismic intensity of the earthquake were underestimated, and the subsequent information showed that the scale and seismic intensity grew significantly (Takano, 2011). Is unfortunately difficult.
By conducting such learning, it is possible to understand the characteristics of Earthquake Early Warnings. By knowing how the shaking of the earthquake and the timing of the arrival of the Earthquake Early Warning change depending on the distance from the epicenter, it is possible to improve the reading ability of the Earthquake Early Warning.
Unfortunately, due to the new coronavirus, we have not been able to practice education at junior high school sites. In the future, we plan to demonstrate the educational effect.