24 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



SEISMOLOGICAL STATION 



The Bosch-Omori instruments installed in the State Museum in 

 March 1906 have given practically continuous service to the 

 present time. Altogether they have furnished records of 35 dif- 

 ferent earthquakes, of which nine occurred during the year end- 

 ing September 30, 1908. In the preceding" year which seems to 

 have been one of notable seismic activity, there were recorded 19 

 shocks. The remaining seven were registered in the period from 

 March 10 to October 1, 1906. 



The records obtained during the year just elapsed are listed in 

 the accompanying table. When additional details relative to the 

 individual disturbances have been available they are appended as 

 notes. The character of the records varies to a marked degree, 

 depending upon the wave motion set up by each shock, the distance 

 of the focus and other factors not as yet well understood. Hence, 

 it is not always possible to give the different elements character- 

 izing a disturbance with satisfactory completeness, though in many 

 cases, specially in respect to the more violent earthquakes, the 

 records can be used as a reliable basis for deduction. 



So far the instruments have recorded no earth movements of 

 local origin. The sources of the disturbances have been widely 

 distributed, but none of them nearer probably than 2000 miles. In 

 a majority of instances, perhaps, they have been related to the 

 series of readjustments that has taken place recently in the Cordil- 

 leran region of North and South America, as manifested by the 

 extremely forceful earthquakes of San Francisco, Valparaiso and 

 Central Mexico and a number of smaller ones within that zone. 

 These seem to have been due to tectonic displacements or fault 

 slips. With the relief of stress they have undoubtedly afforded, 

 a period of comparative repose may be expected to follow and to 

 continue for some time. The nearest region of disturbance to 

 which local records can be definitely referred is the West Indies. 

 There have been several shocks of notable size registered at 

 Albany that could not be traced to any known occurrence on land 

 and were probably of submarine origin. 



The Albany station has communicated its observations from 

 time to time to the International Seismological Association for 

 record in its reports and to the California Earthquake Commission. 

 The latter has recently published a comprehensive account of the 

 San Francisco earthquake. 



Full details of the local station have appeared in a previous 

 report. The important constants applicable to the interpretation 



