Fresno, Ca Maximum S Wave Amplitude = 70 centimeters (with Epicentral Distance of 4.5 km)
The maximum S wave amplitude in Fresno, CA was 70 centimeters. We identify the S wave on the seismogram and the S wave is the second major wave to arrive after the P wave.
The peak of the S wave is the highest point on the S wave. We measure the distance from the peak of the S wave to the baseline of the seismogram. This is the maximum S wave amplitude.
The maximum S wave amplitude is a measure of the strength of the ground shaking at a particular location. A larger S wave amplitude indicates stronger ground shaking.
In this case, the maximum S wave amplitude of 70 centimeters indicates that the ground shaking in Fresno, CA was strong is because the epicentral distance of the earthquake was only 4.5 km.