High school students use cutting-edge tools to do scientific investigations.

The LIGO e-Lab provides an online environment in which students experience the excitement of scientific collaboration by investigating seismic behavior. Seismic energy from earthquakes, wind, ocean waves and human activity will become visible and meaningful as students plot data from seismometers at LIGO Hanford Observatory

Seismic processes influence the behavior of LIGO's gravitational wave detectors. Inquiry-based e-lab investigations, designed and conducted by students, will connect to LIGO in exciting and authentic ways. Students will learn about LIGO's quest to detect gravitational waves as they analyze the vibrations of the ground underneath LIGO's ultra-sensitive interferometers. The LIGO e-Lab addresses ALL science practices in the Next Generation Science Standards.

LIGO offers a classroom instructional unit on seismology as a companion to the LIGO e-Lab. Teachers whose courses include Earth science and seismology content will find that the instructional unit offers a natural context for utilizing the LIGO e-Lab. Learn more about the seismology instructional unit by checking the LIGO e-Lab Teacher Home page under Suggestions for Getting Started.

Information common for all e-Labs
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Aerial Picture of LIGO Hanford Observatory
Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, Hanford Observatory