Tuned in to the Earth … from the school EduSismo: the French educational seismological network

Abstract

Earthquakes are both troubling and fascinating because of their suddenness, the terrible destruction they can wreak and because they still remain unpredictable. This is why emphasis must be placed on preparation, especially in the school system where causes and effects of these hazards are studied. But trying to explain earthquakes, scrutinizing the earth's depths, taking on the planet internal dynamics… entail moving into the inaccessible. In this respect seismology is a source of complexity and fascination.Scientific culture is thus at the heart of seismic risk instruction. All of this is in what the "SISMOS à l'École" curriculum is involved, by implementing an educational program that allows a natural risk culture to be engaged through a scientific and technological approach.The original and innovative aspect of this programme stems from giving students the opportunity to install a seismometer in their school. The recorded signals, reflecting regional or global seismic activity, feed into an on-line database, a genuine seismic resource centre and a springboard for educational and scientific activities.The network 'EduSismo' (numbering some sixty stations installed in metropolitan France, the overseas departments and territories and a few French high schools abroad) is the outgrowth of an experiment conducted in the Alpes-Maritimes area some twelve years back. Since then, the programme implemented has gone beyond simply acquiring seismic signals, which has been procured by research and monitoring centres. By appropriating a scientific measurement, the student becomes personally involved and masters complex concepts about geophysics and geosciences. The development of simple devices and the design of concrete experiments associated with an investigative approach make it possible to instill the students, these future citizens, a high-quality scientific culture and an education about risks.Today, this programme is expanding. New initiatives with Italian, British and Swiss partners are being put in place to share experiences and data in Europe. A l'écoute sismique de la Terre… à l'Ecole EduSismo : le réseau sismologique français à vocation éducativeMots-clés. -Séisme, Culture scientifique, Prévention risque sismique, Réseau, Enseignement, EducationRésumé. -Les séismes inquiètent et fascinent par leur caractère brutal, parfois terriblement destructeurs et encore largement imprévisibles. C'est pourquoi il faut miser sur la prévention notamment en milieu scolaire où les causes et les effets de tels aléas sont étudiés. Mais rechercher les causes des séismes, appréhender les zones profondes du globe, approcher la dynamique interne du globe… c'est aller vers l'inaccessible. En cela la sismologie est source de complexité et de fascination.La culture scientifique est donc bien au coeur de l'éducation au risque sismique. C'est tout cela qui est en jeu dans le programme éducatif 'SISMOS à l'École' : mettre en oeuvre une démarche d'enseignement permettant, par une approche scientifique et technologique, d'aborder la culture d...

25 years of seismology at school in France

“…Researchers have also contributed to the numerous training sessions through scientific refresher lectures. Furthermore, the researchers also use the network's datasets to integrate them into the seismicity study of the considered areas (Berenguer et al, 2013; their figure 6).…”

Celebrating 25 years of seismology at schools in France

“…Researchers have also contributed to the numerous training sessions through scientific refresher lectures. Furthermore, the researchers also use the network's data sets to integrate them into the seismicity study of the considered areas (Berenguer et al, 2013;their Fig. 6).…”

“…During the national phase, Güralp CMG-6TD devices were also deployed, such as the educational Vibrato station (https://www.staneo. fr/vibrato.php, last access: 6 December 2020, Berenguer et al, 2013). This device and the TC1 seismometer (Van Wijk et al, 2013, https://doi.org/10.1119/1.4830072) are currently deployed (EduMed-Obs phase).…”

Seismic Observations in Bucharest Area with a Raspberry Shake Citizen Science Network

“…Citizen involvement in disaster risk reduction activities steadily increases through joint data collection, education/training, and citizen science activities. Schools [17][18][19] have a central role in engaging young students and increasing risk awareness and preparation. From now on, Bucharest city is seismically investigated with real data coming not just from the stations belonging to the National Seismic Network, but from the Bucharest Raspberry Shake Seismic Network (BRSSN) as well.…”