Which statements concerning how geologists locate an earthquake’s epicenter are accurate? Check all that apply.

Question

Geologists use seismic waves to locate the center of an earthquake.
The epicenter of an earthquake is located at the same place as the seismograph.
Geologists use data from two data stations to determine the location of an earthquake.
Geologists use data from three or more data stations to determine the location of the epicenter.
A seismograph measures the difference between the arrivals of P waves and S waves.

Answer 1

The accurate statements concerning how geologists locate an earthquake’s epicenter are:

1. Geologists use seismic waves to locate the center of an earthquake.
2. Geologists use data from three or more data stations to determine the location of the epicenter.
3. A seismograph measures the difference between the arrivals of P waves and S waves.

The statements "The epicenter of an earthquake is located at the same place as the seismograph" and "Geologists use data from two data stations to determine the location of an earthquake" are not accurate. The epicenter is not at the seismograph's location and typically requires data from at least three stations to triangulate the epicenter accurately.