Earthquakes

You may have never felt an earthquake, but they occur every day. Earthquakes occur when rocks under intense stress break and release huge amounts of energy. These waves of energy travel through the Earth and are measured by seismologists. Earthquakes can cause devastating damage and loss of life, but they are a natural occurrence on Earth as rocks beneath the surface move and shift. In this topic, you will learn what causes an earthquake to occur, how the energy from an earthquake moves through the Earth, and how the intensity of earthquakes is measured.

Essential Questions

• What causes an earthquake?
• What are the different types of earthquake faults?
• What are seismic waves, and how do they help measure earthquakes?