An earthquake measuring 8.8 on the Richter scale struck Haiti early this year killing nearly 450 people and rendering nearly 1.5 million homeless.

l Another quake of 8.7struck Northern Sumatra, Indonesia in March 2005.

l A magnitude of 9.0 megathrust earthquake rocked off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia in December 2004, having repercussions across many countries along the coast causing severe destruction and claiming nearly 2.5 lakh lives.

Many times people have wondered whether an early prediction of such earthquakes would have helped humanity. Such a study of warning systems is called Seismology. 

Seismology has originated from the Greek seismos = earthquake and logos = word, which is the scientific study of earthquakes and movement of waves through the Earth. Seismology also includes studies of variants such as seaquakes, causes of volcanoes, plate tectonics and tsunamis.

Scientists state that quakes produce different types of seismic waves, which travel through rock, and provide an effective way to view events and structures inside the earth. The study of mapping earth’s sub-surface features is called Seismology, which is also a part of geology or geo-physical science. The work of Seismologists is to strive to locate the source, nature and extent of seismic events. The data collected by Seismologists is picked up by agencies involved in disaster management, town planning and others.

Modern seismology dates back only to a century when the first instruments capable of recording an earthquake were developed. Those who developed the first seismometers were keen on observing the earthquakes. However, during the 20th century, the scope of seismology expanded to include probe of Earth’s interior using waves from earthquakes and other sources.

Many of us are plagued by a lot of questions on: How do earthquakes start? What controls their timing? How do they stop? Answers to all these queries can be found by understanding the fundamental processes that allow us to improve assessment of earthquake hazard.

Seismologists can predict the accurate place and time of an earthquake after detailed study of the internal structure of the Earth. Scientists have been able to learn about the Earth’s interior, from the uppermost crust to the central core, by deep analysis of the waves generated by earthquakes and explosions that are recorded by seismographs.

Seismology is also used in the search for oil, and a large numbers of seismologists are employed in the petroleum industry. Scientists have said that same basic principles are used but on a smaller scale for the detailed mapping of subsurface structure in a limited region. Seismologists use waves generated by small explosions or mechanical devices to find out whether accumulation of oil, not detectable from surface evidence, can be found.

With the world progressing into nuclear technology, an application of seismology is of great importance to world peace in keeping a check on underground nuclear explosions. Scientists said that nuclear explosions generate seismic waves that can be recorded at large distances. They said that seismic observations are the best way to determine whether nations are complying with the test ban treaties.
 
There is lot of scope and opportunity for Seismologists in the future. They would be involved in formulating building byelaws that would make the buildings quake-proof structures. They would also assist in identifying weak points in the earthquake patterns. We all understand that all buildings can’t be razed to the ground and built again incorporating the seismic principles. With the help of Seismologists the buildings can be strengthened to prevent loss of life and property.

Since the study requires a thorough knowledge of science, students aspiring to become a Seismologist must have a science background from Class XI onwards. Those having a degree in geology, geo-physics, applied mathematics and engineering can specialise in Seismology. Basically an undergraduate degree is needed for pursuing Master‘s studies or doctoral work.

After the completion of studies, students can look out for opportunities in areas such as groundwater management and oil exploration. Presently, in the universities, and public sector and industry, there is lot of scope for research. Institutions such as National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad, and IIT‘s offer good opportunities for research. To create a pool of qualified seismologists in the country, the Human Resource Ministry launched a national programme on earthquake engineering education in technical institutions. Short-term course for engineering college teachers are conducted by IISc, Bangalore.

Institutes Offering Courses

• Department of Earthquake Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (lIT), Roorkee,
Uttarakhand, offers M. Tech degree in Seismology, www.iitr.ernetin

• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur, West Bengal, offers an M. Tech. degree in Computation Seismology, www.iitkgp.ernet.in

• National Information Center of Earthquake Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, www.iitk.ac.in

• Department of Geophysics, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, www.bhu.ac.in

• Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, www.himgeology.com

• Mumbai University, Mumbai, Maharashtra, www.mu.ac.in

• Kurukhestra University, Haryana
www.kuk.ernet.in

• Anna University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, www.annauniv.edu

• Osmania University, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, www.osmania.ac.in

• IRIS (Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology), USA. www.ris.edu