Donegal school becomes a global leader in recording and measuring earthquakes

This is amazing.

A school in Donegal has become a global leader in recording and measuring earthquakes, thanks to its participation in the Seismology in Schools programme run by the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS). St. Columba’s College in Stranorlar has recorded up to one thousand earthquakes.   St. Columba’s College in Stranorlar recorded its thousandth earthquake in recent weeks: an event from the Dodecanese Islands in Greece, which registered a magnitude of 5.1. The school is one of 55 primary and secondary schools nationwide that participates in DIAS’s Seismology in Schools programme. Commenting today Tom Blake, Seismology in Schools Coordinator at DIAS, said:

"DIAS established the Seismology in Schools programme in 2007. Using a seismometer and associated software, students in participating schools are able to record and study earthquakes, often from the other side of the world,in real time."

Mr Blake went on to talk about the impact of the students work and what it has done for earthquake research;

"Since the school joined the programme in April 2010, the seismic station at St. Columba’s College has recorded and submitted more data than any other school or university involved in the global Seismology in Schools network. This is a huge achievement, not only for the school but for ‘citizen scientists’ throughout Ireland. This project shows just how impactful it is when you make science relevant and accessible to people’s day-to-day lives."

St. Columba’s College, the earthquake monitoring station is designated Station DL02, and the seismometer is located in the school physics lab.