Earthquakes

In 1989, baseball fans learned exactly what it was like to be in an earthquake during the sport’s biggest contest. Imagine being at a World Series game between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics. Due to their proximity to one another, this series was called the “Battle of the Bay.” You may have already gotten your peanuts, popcorn, and refreshing drink and are waiting for the game to begin. A few minutes prior to the opening pitch, everything begins to shake. Later, you would find it was near impossible to travel anywhere outside of the stadium as the major roadways had collapsed. Millions of viewers watching on television got to witness just what it is like to be in an earthquake. This was the first earthquake ever recorded on video.

Scientists study earthquakes to aid in predicting the sudden release of energy that can cause major damage. Earthquakes are also studied in order to protect large cities that are located near areas with active faults. In this topic, you learned about the causes of earthquakes and the damage that they can create. You also learned how earthquakes are compared using different scales.