Download Introduction to Earthquakes

By: Destiny Mott
What is an Earthquake?
“An earthquake is caused by a sudden slip on a
fault. The tectonic plates are always slowly
moving, but they get stuck at their edges due to
friction. When the stress on the edge overcomes
the friction, there is an earthquake that releases
energy in waves that travel through the earth's
crust and cause the shaking that we feel.”
(USGS,
2009)
Plate Tectonics
YouTube Video
Recent 2010 Earthquakes

China 6.9 earthquake in April.

Chile 6.6-8.8 earthquakes in FebruaryMarch.

Haiti 7.0 earthquake in January.
What is Magnitude?

A measure of the amount of energy
released during an earthquake.

Seismologist calculate magnitude by the
amplitude of waves that come from the
epicenter of the earthquake.

A Richter Scale
Richter Scale
The Haiti Earthquake
Eyewitness account of Haiti
Why Haiti, Chile, and China?

These countries are located along the
Ring of Fire.

The Ring of Fire is a giant active fault
line stretching 25,000 miles around the
edge of the Pacific Ocean floor.

80% of the world's earthquakes occur
along this active fault line.
Pacific Ring of Fire
“The Ring of Fire is a direct result of plate tectonics and the
movement and collisions of crustal plates.” (Wikipedia,
2010)
Pop Quiz Time!
1. According to the Richter Scale, what is the significance of the 7.2
Chile earthquake?
a) minor
b) moderate
c) major
2. The theory of plate tectonics accounts for what movement?
a) ocean
b) continent
c) magma
3. What is the Ring of Fire?
a) the center of a volcano
b) a giant fault line
References

Duza, J. & Evensen, R. (2008). Become an anti-earthquake designer. Web Quest.
Retrieved from http://questgarden.com/71/26/9/081013095448/credits.htm

Earthquakes, faults, plate tectonics, earth structure. (2009). USGS. Retrieved from
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/faq/?categoryID=1&faqID=96

Earth floor: plate tectonics. (2004). ETE. Retrieved from
http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsysflr/plates1.html

Factfrog-plate techtonics. (2006).YouTube. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYVS_Yh6dTk&feature=player_embedded

Oo7jb1- Eyewitness Account Of Haiti Quake. (2010).YouTube. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiL84Dy7Z8c

Richter magnitude scale. (2010). Kids.Net.Au. Retrieved from
http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/ri/Richter_scale

What is the magnitude of an earthquake. (2007). Leonard Geophysical Observatory.
Retrieved from http://www.okgeosurvey1.gov/magnitude_e.html