seismogram

thumb|A seismogram being recorded by a seismograph at Weston Observatory (Boston College)|Weston Observatory in Massachusetts thumb|A detail of the seismogram A seismogram is a graph output by a seismograph. It is a record of the ground motion at a measuring station as a function of time. Seismograms typically record motions in three cartesian axes (x, y, and z), with the z axis perpendicular to the Earth's surface and the x- and y- axes parallel to the surface. The energy measured in a seismogram may result from an earthquake or from some other source, such as an explosion. Seismograms can record many things, and record many little waves, called microseisms. These tiny events can be caused by heavy traffic near the seismograph, waves hitting a beach, the wind, and any number of other ordinary things that cause some shaking of the seismograph.

thumb|A set of seismograms for an earthquake from the USGS (click to see large version) Historically, seismograms were recorded on paper attached to rotating drums, a kind of chart recorder. Some used pens on ordinary paper, while others used light beams to expose photosensitive paper. Today, practically all seismograms are recorded digitally to make analysis by computer easier.