Benioff Horizontal Seismometer (WWSSN)

Description:

This variable reluctance, short-period horizontal seismometer is based on the design of Hugo Benioff, a scientist on the staff of the Seismological Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. It was made by the Geotechnical Corporation in Dallas, Texas, in the early 1960s, for use in VELA-Uniform, a government-sponsored project designed to detect and map earthquakes and underground nuclear explosions. One part of VELA-Uniform was a World Wide Standardized Seismograph Network.

This example is marked "Model No. 1101 / Serial No. 4201." It was used at the WWSSN station at Junction City, Texas.

Date Made: 1961-1962

Maker: Geotechnical Corporation

Location: Currently not on view

Place Made: United States: Texas, Dallas

Related Event: Cold War

Subject:

See more items in: Medicine and Science: Physical Sciences, Seismographs, Science & Mathematics, Measuring & Mapping

Exhibition:

Exhibition Location:

Credit Line: U.S. Geological Survey

Data Source: National Museum of American History

Id Number: 1999.0275.01Catalog Number: 1999.0275.01Accession Number: 1999.0275

Object Name: seismometer

Measurements: overall: 53 cm x 50.4 cm x 53.5 cm; 20 7/8 in x 19 27/32 in x 21 1/16 in

Guid: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ad-9f6b-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Record Id: nmah_1415790

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