Earthquakes

If you were responsible for studying and analyzing earthquakes, you may want to book a trip to the western coast of the United States. This coast is located on a plate boundary and has frequent earthquakes. You may only hear about high magnitude earthquakes, but there are over a million smaller earthquakes that occur in the world each year. Out of those earthquakes, 100,000 of those can be felt and 100 of them cause damage. With so many earthquakes happening all of the time, it is important for scientists to understand how earthquakes work. and how to measure their intensity and magnitude. View this presentation to learn more about earthquakes. Click the player button to begin.

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Earthquake Damage

The magnitude of an earthquake and its location on Earth determine the amount of damage that it causes. The higher the magnitude of the earthquake and the closer the epicenter is located to large populations, the more potential exists for damage. Damage increases with the intensity of the shaking, the duration of the shaking, the types building materials used in structures, and the design of structures. In this interactivity, explore the different types of damage created by earthquakes. Click the player button to begin.

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Earthquake Prediction

There is no reliable method of predicting earthquakes, so seismologists collect data in order to study the patterns and records of earthquakes to help predict future earthquake potential. Scientists can use this data to determine a general time frame when pressure on the fault is great enough to trigger an earthquake. The best way to reduce casualties and fatalities from earthquakes is to design buildings and infrastructure that can withstand strong surface waves, and to educate people about earthquake safety. Tsunamis cannot be avoided, so increasing the warning time to areas in danger by closely monitoring seismic activity is important for saving lives. Currently, the only warning system for tsunamis is located around the Pacific Ocean.

 

Earthquakes Review

Now that you have investigated earthquakes, complete this non-graded activity to check your knowledge. Use what you have learned in this topic to correctly complete each diagram. Drag and drop the correct word from the word bank into the blank space provided. Click the player button to get started.