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Many geoscience educators enjoy using Ross Stein's "Quake Caster" and the associated EarthScope "Earthquake Machine Activity". The associated 3D print files and data spreadsheets are my attempt to improve the accessibility, portability and student-choice variables so the lab can truly be experimental (FAFO) and extremely efficient to .
This iteration adds to my previous tinkering (interchangeable friction plates, phone holder for accelerometer and ratcheting winch) by dealing with the most onerous part of the activity: set-up and storage. Previous iterations required bulky bricks or stones, fishing reels, pulleys and wood planks that can be costly, heavy, difficult to cut and hard to store when not in use. The same storage issues can be had when dealing with the sand paper or industrial non-skid tape. Setting up the original Earthquake Machine models, while straightforward with clamping and taping, was a cumbersome and tedious process . To alleviate these problems I designed and 3-D printed snap-together (dovetailed) tracks to which I contact-cemented 4” wide sandpaper. These tracks are the base (or one side) of our model fault. The winch base also slides into the dovetailed grooves making the entire track self-contained. A groove along the side of the tracks fits a retractable measuring tape used in quantifying offsets. The tracks now break down and set-up very quickly (less than a minute) and the brick stores the winch components. Because the tracks are flat, they stack and store very neatly. The track length is only limited by how many segments are used. I recommend 7-12 sections making the track anywhere between 130cm and 220cm. The longer the track, the fewer brick resets are needed when collecting data. The new and improved winch knob is now a wider ellipsoid for easier grip and cranking leverage. Parts, Constructions & Set-UpDetailed Use Explanations |
3D Printed Component Files
Lab Instructions & SpreadsheetsRoss Stein Quake Caster Demonstration VideosDr. Ross Stein invented the Quake Caster and has done some great presentations about the model's usefulness for understanding earthquakes.
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