Lauren Mroz

GEO 201-02

What’s Shakin’?!
Grade Level: 6

Benchmarks (Michigan Curriculum Framework):

 E.SE.06.52 Demonstrate how major geological events (earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, mountain
building) result from these plate motions.
 S.IP.06.11 Generate scientific questions based on observations, investigations, and research
 S.IP.06.12 Design and conduct scientific investigations
 S.IP.06.15 Construct charts and graphs from data and observations

Objectives:

This lesson is one of a series of lessons on how major geological events occur from plate motions. This lesson
focuses on explaining and demonstrating how earthquakes in particular are a result of plate motions and will
take place over three days.

 Students will be able to explain what an earthquake is.

 Students will be able to explain what causes an earthquake.
 Students will be able to relate their knowledge of an earthquake to plate tectonics.
 Students will be able to conduct an investigation on the effect of earthquakes and interpret results.
 Students will be able to plot the epicenters of earthquakes and interpret results.

Materials and Setup:

“If You Lived at The Time of The Great San Francisco Earthquake” by Ellen Levine
San Francisco Earthquake trade book written assignment.
Shake, Rattle, Roll Laboratory Activity

Safety:

Engage:

We have now spent a few days learning about plate tectonics. Today we are going to take what we know about
plate tectonics and apply that to a new concept. First, let’s do a short activity to remind ourselves about some of
the important information we have been learning. We will be doing a Think, Pair, Share, activity about what we
know so far in relation to plate tectonics. Now let’s introduce our new topic, Earthquakes by making a mind
map about everything we can think of that is related to Earthquakes. Next, we are going to read a few chapters
out of the book “If you lived at the time of the great San Francisco Earthquake” by Ellen Levine. Afterwards, I
have a short assessment for you to do on what you have learned. This assessment will be graded, you have 15
minutes to work on it, if you do not finish in this time, please do it for homework and turn it in tomorrow.
**While student’s are working on the assessment begin set up on the explore activity**

 Think, Pair, Share (10 min)

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 Create a mind map on the white board on the term “Earthquake”

 Read a trade book on Earthquakes “If You Lived at The Time of The Great San Francisco Earthquake”
by Ellen Levine
o What did San Francisco look like after the quake? Pg. 7
o What did people do when the earthquake struck? Pg. 12
o How many people died? Pg. 14
o What did the earthquake sound like? Pg. 16
o What did the earthquake look like? Pg. 17
o What did the earthquake feel like? Pg. 19
o How did people keep their spirits up? Pg. 57
 Students will do a short writing assignment about the reading.

Explore:

To introduce our lesson on earthquakes we will be doing a laboratory activity called, Shake, Rattle, Roll.
You will each receive a complete laboratory packet to work through while you explore the concept of
earthquakes. As you can see there are three stations in this lab, you will rotate through these stations in your
groups and complete the requirements at each station. After each group has completed all three stations we will
discuss as a class our observations, results, experiences, and how this activity relates to earthquakes.

*This activity can be altered so that each group explores only one of the stations and presents their
experiment and results to the class.

 http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/printables/EarthquakesVolcanoes.pdf

Explain:

 Vocabulary create a foldable

o Earthquake
o Fault
o Hypocenter
o Epicenter
o Foreshock
o Mainshock
o Aftershock
o S Wave
o P Wave
o Seismograph
o Richter Scale
 Do you think earthquakes occur very often? Do we experience a lot of earthquakes or very few? Why do
you say this?
o Go to iris.edu to take a look at the earthquakes that have occurred within the past 2 weeks.
 What is an Earthquake?
 What causes an Earthquake?
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o Include pictures to show plate movement

 How are plate boundaries associated with Earthquakes?
o Lets look at the map and try to figure it out
o http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/investigations/es1001/es1001page05
.cfm?chapter_no=investigation
 P Waves and S Waves
o http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/teachers/HumanWave.pdf
 How do we measure the intensity of an Earthquake?
o Richter Scale
 3-2-1
o 3 things you learned about Earthquakes
o 2 things you found interesting
o 1 thing you are still questioning

Elaborate:

 Go over any misunderstanding from 3-2-1 exercise.

 Take a look at the IRIS Seismic Monitor again.
o Notice the magnitude, location, time various earthquakes occurred
o Look at a recent earthquake or one in the U.S., look at the latitude, longitude, and magnitude
 Math: Plotting Epicenters Activity (graded)
o Students will be given 20 minutes in class to work on this, the rest should be completed for
homework and returned the following day
o http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~braile/edumod/epiplot/epiplot.htm
 After students have completed their maps use the discussion questions in their packet as a fuel for
classroom discussion on the results. The objective of the discussion is to help students understand most
earthquakes occur along the boundaries of plates and that earthquakes with a higher magnitude occur
along convergent boundaries.
 During the discussion reference to the website animation that shows the plate boundaries and the
magnitude of earthquakes along the boundaries.
o http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/investigations/es1001/es1001page02
.cfm?chapter_no=investigation
 Opportunities to Extend:
o Do a case study on specific earthquakes
o Focus on earthquakes in the United States
o Listen to different earthquakes and notice how the sound changes:

Evaluate:

 Selected Response Assessment

Differentiation of lesson for various abilities:

1. Students who are more advanced could be expected to write more during Quick Write
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GEO 201-02

2. Students who are more advanced could be expected to do the large classroom map of epicenter or plot
more epicenters on their own maps
3. Students who are not as advanced could be allowed to take the epicenter worksheet home to finish

Explain:

1. What is an earthquake?
o An earthquake is a vibration of the earth
produced by the rapid release of energy.
o When an earthquake occurs, energy is
released in all directions in the form of
seismic waves.
 The waves are released similar to
the ripples caused by a stone
dropped in a pond.
 The Location below the earth’s surface where
the earthquake starts is called the
hypocenter or focus or origin. The hypocenter is the depth at which the earthquake occurs.
 The Location directly above the epicenter on the surface of the earth is called the epicenter.
 Earthquakes usually occur along preexisting faults that formed along areas of weakness
in the Earth’s Crust.
 Sometimes an earthquake has foreshocks. These are smaller earthquakes that happen
in the same place as the larger earthquake that follows.
 The largest, main earthquake is called the mainshock.
o Mainshocks always have aftershocks that follow. These are smaller earthquakes
that occur afterwards in the same place as the mainshock.
2. What causes an earthquake?
 An earthquake is caused by slippage along a fault in the Earth’s crust.
 At an existing fault, or break in the rock, tectonic forces
can deform the crustal rocks on either side of the fault.
When this occurs, the rocks are bending and storing
energy. Eventually, the resistance that holds the rocks in
place is overcome, and slippage occurs. Slippage occurs
at the weakest point of the fault. When slippage occurs
the plates are displaced and the stored energy is
released. The energy is released in the form of seismic
waves that send vibrations which is what we know of as
an earthquake.
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GEO 201-02

 Earthquakes occur along faults where the movement of the earths crust causes stress
and strain that produces an earthquake. There are 3
main types of faults and stresses associated with the
cause of earthquakes.
o Earthquakes can occur along Normal Faults
associated with tension forces that extend the
crust
o Earthquakes can occur along Reverse Faults
associated with compression forces that shorten
the crust
o Earthquakes can occur along Transform Faults
associated with shear forces that bend the crust.
 An aftershock follows the main quake and is usually
weaker than the mainshock.
3. How are plate boundaries associated with Earthquakes?

 Plate tectonics confirms that there are three main types

of seismic zones.
 1. The first follows the line of midocean ridges in
relation to divergent boundaries. Activity is low, and it occurs at very shallow depths.
The point is that the lithosphere is very thin and weak at these boundaries, so the strain
cannot build up enough to cause large earthquakes.
 2. The second type is along transform boundaries. The San Andreas fault is a good
example of this, so is the Anatolian fault in Northern Turkey. In these faults, two mature
plates are scraping by one another. The friction between the plates can be so great that
very large strains can build up before they are periodically relieved by large earthquakes.
 3. The third type of earthquake is along convergent boundaries due to the collision of
oceanic and continental plates. One plate is thrust or subducted under the other plate
so that a deep ocean trench is produced. Earthquakes with the highest magnitude and
cause the most damage occur along this boundary.

4. What are P waves and S waves?

 The study of earthquake waves is called seismology

 There are 2 main types of seismic waves
 1. Surface waves that travel along Earth’s
surface; they are fairly slow moving waves
 2. Body waves that travel through Earth’s
interior
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o There are 2 main types of body waves

o 1. Primary waves (P waves)
 Push-pull waves. They push (compress) and pull (expand) rocks in the
direction the wave travels. Particles in a P wave move back and forth
parallel to the direction of wave travel. P waves travel the fastest, so are
usually the first to arrive at a location. These waves can also travel through
solid, liquids, and gases.
o 2. Secondary waves (S waves)
 Side-to- side motion. Shake the particles at right angles to the direction
they travel. So particles in an S wave move back and forth perpendicular to
the direction of wave travel.
 These waves can only travel through solids
o

5. How do we measure earthquakes?

 Intensity is the measure, in terms of degrees, of damage to the surface and the effects on
humans. Intensity records only observations of effects on the crust, not actual ground
motion
 Magnitude does not depend on population and effects to ground structures, but rather on
wave amplitude and distance. Magnitude is determined using mathematical formulae and
information from seismograms. One such magnitude scale is the Richter scale. This
magnitude scale is logarithmic, meaning each step in magnitude is exponentially greater
than the last.
 Refer to the list of magnitudes and their descriptions

http://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov/parks/deform/gfaults.html

http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~braile/edumod/slinky/slinky.htm#Human_Wave

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/teachers/HumanWave.pdf

http://scign.jpl.nasa.gov/learn/eq8.htm

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/faq/?categoryID=2&faqID=26

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/activities/2302_shook.html

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/topics/plate_tectonics/rift_man.php

http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~braile/edumod/epiplot/epiplot.htm
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GEO 201-02

http://www.geo.mtu.edu/UPSeis/waves.html

http://eqseis.geosc.psu.edu/~cammon/HTML/Classes/IntroQuakes/Notes/earthquake_size.html

http://www.geo.mtu.edu/UPSeis/magnitude.html

http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Glossary/Seismicity/what_causes_earthquakes.html

http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/investigations/es1001/es1001page02.cf
m?chapter_no=investigation

http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~braile/edumod/epiplot/epiplot.htm
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Scientific Background:
1. What is an earthquake?
 An earthquake is a slip along a fault in the earth’s crust due to the build up of stress. Earthquakes
usually occur along preexisting faults that are located along areas of weakness. Tectonic plates
(which are associated with earthquakes) are always in slow constant motion. As the plates move
they can get stuck along edges due to friction. When a plate gets stuck it causes stress to build up
along the fault. There are different types of stress that can occur. Tension stress is typical of
normal faulting, compression stress is associated with reverse faulting, and shear stress is
common along transform faulting. When the stress overcomes the friction, an earthquake occurs.
Stress is released in the form of seismic waves that travel through the earth’s crust. There are
different types of waves that travel through the crust. Surface waves are those that travel along
the surface and upper boundaries of the earth’s crust. P waves are the push-pull waves that arrive
first to a location and S waves are the side-to-side waves that arrive after the P waves. These
vibrations are what we associated with earthquakes.
 The Location below the earth’s surface where the earthquake starts is called the hypocenter or
focus or origin. The hypocenter is the depth at which the earthquake occurs. The Location
directly above the epicenter on the surface of the earth is called the epicenter. Sometimes an
earthquake has foreshocks. These are smaller earthquakes that happen in the same place as the
larger earthquake that follows. The largest, main earthquake is called the mainshock.
Mainshocks always have aftershocks that follow. These are smaller earthquakes that occur
afterwards in the same place as the mainshock. Depending on the size of the earthquake,
aftershocks can last from days to weeks to months after the initial main shock.
2. What causes an earthquake?
 Plate Tectonics Theory of Earthquakes
o A plate is the rock that makes up the 100 km of the Earth’s surface. An earthquake will
only occur in the outer, more brittle, area of the plate. This is due to the lower
temperature of the rock.
o Stress occurs due to the convection of rocks in the earth’s interior. This stress causes the
overlying plates to move. Plates typically move at a rate of 2 to 12 centimeters a year.
o 90% of earthquakes occur along boundaries where the rocks are weak. The 10% occur
along areas away from plate boundaries.
 The earth consists of four layers, inner core, outer core, mantle, and crust. The crust and the
mantle are at the surface of the planet in many different pieces (plates). These pieces are
continuously moving slowing on the surface. As the plates move they may slide past each other
and bump into each other. Plate boundaries, which are the edges of plates, consist of faults.
Most earthquakes are located along these faults.
 An earthquake is caused by slippage along a fault in the Earth’s crust. At an existing fault, or
break in the rock, tectonic forces can deform the crustal rocks on either side of the fault. When
the edges of a fault are stuck together, the rest of the block of earth is still moving, this causes a
build up of energy. Eventually, the force that causes the rocks to stick is overcome and slippage
occurs. Slippage occurs at the weakest point of the fault. When slippage occurs the plates are
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displaced and the stored energy is released. The energy is released in the form of seismic waves
that send vibrations which is what we know of as an earthquake.
3. How are plate boundaries associated with Earthquakes?
 The majority of earthquakes do not occur in random areas of the world, instead they are primarly
located along narrow zones. These narrow zones are typically the boundaries between different
plates on the surface of the earth. Plate tectonics explains why earthquakes are usually only
found along these boundaries. According to plate tectonics, the lithosphere is broken up into
many different plates (oceanic and continental) that are always in slow movement. Due to this
movement, the plates will interact with one another, usually along the boundaries. The first
follows the line of midocean ridges in relation to divergent boundaries. Activity is low, and it
occurs at very shallow depths. The point is that the lithosphere is very thin and weak at these
boundaries, so the strain cannot build up enough to cause large earthquakes. The second type is
along transform boundaries. The San Andreas fault is a good example of this, so is the Anatolian
fault in Northern Turkey. In these faults, two mature plates are scraping by one another. The
friction between the plates can be so great that very large strains can build up before they are
periodically relieved by large earthquakes. The third type of earthquake is along convergent
boundaries due to the collision of oceanic and continental plates. One plate is thrust or subducted
under the other plate so that a deep ocean trench is produced. Earthquakes with the highest
magnitude and cause the most damage occur along this boundary.
 A fault is a fracture zone along 2 blocks of rocks, these blocks of rocks can move in various
ways in relation to one another. It is the movement of these blocks of rocks that causes
earthquakes.
 A normal fault is a dip-slip fault that is a response to tension between the blocks. In a normal
fault the hanging block moves downward in relationship to the footwall block.
 Reverse faulting is in response to crustal compression between the blocks. In reverse faulting, the
crust moves upward in relationship to the footwall block.
 Transform faulting is in response to shear pressure between the blocks. In transform faulting, one
block either moves to the left or to the right of the other block. When a block moves to the right
it is referred to as a right-lateral transform fault, when it moves to the left it is referred to as a
left-lateral transform fault.
 An oblique fault is a combination of normal faulting and transform faulting.
4. What are P waves and S waves?
 The study of earthquake waves is called seismology
 An earthquake releases energy when slippage occurs in the form of seismic waves. These waves
move in all directions from the origin of the earthquake. There are a few different types of waves
that travel through the earth’s crust when an earthquake occurs. These waves travel travel at
different velocities, have different amplitudes, and affect the earth in different ways. There are 2
main types of seismic waves; surface waves and body waves. Surface waves travel along the
Earth’s surface and upper most boundary layers. Body waves travel through the interior of the
earth in two different forms; P waves and S waves. P waves are primary waves that have a push-
pull motion. These waves push (compress) and pull (expand) rocks in the direction the waves
travels. These waves are the first to arrive, so they travel the fastest to a location. These
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particular waves can travel through solids, liquids, and gases. S waves are secondary waves that
have a side-to-side motion. These waves arrive after P waves and shake the particles at right
angles to the direction (back and forth( in which they travel. A surface wave will arrive after the
P and S waves. There are different types of surface waves. One type of surface wave is a love
wave which moves the ground side to side and is the fastest surface wave to arrive. Another type
of surface wave is a Rayleigh wave which rolls along the ground moving the ground up and
down and side to side.
5. How do we measure earthquakes?
 An earthquake can be measured based on the intensity and the magnitude of the quake. Intensity is a
measure of the degree of earthquake shaking in a given location based on the amount of damage
caused. Magnitude is a more quantitative measure of earthquakes based on calculations from seismic
records that estimate the amount of energy an earthquake releases.
 Intensity scales take into account the amount of damage done and the description of the event. This
scale is called the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale. This scale outlines 12 classifications for
defining the intensity of an earthquake. This scale however is only based on the effect of an
earthquake which are dependent upon the severity the ground shakes and the population density,
building designs, and surface materials at the location of the quake.
 To compare earthquakes globally, the magnitude scale was developed. One type of scale is the
Richer Magnitude scale developed in 1935 by Charles Richter. This scale is based on the amplitude
of the largest seismic wave recorded on a seismogram. This scale has no upper limit. It also accounts
for the various amplitudes of waves recorded. Richter used a logarithmic scale to express magnitude,
in which a tenfold increase in wave amplitude represents 1 on the magnitude scale. Each unit on a
Richter scale is equal to a 32-fold energy increase.
 A more precise way to measure scales is also being explored called moment magnitude. This scale
calculates the average amount of displacement along a fault, the area of the rupture surface, the shear
strength of the faulted rock. This type of measurement can also be calculated from seismograms by
examining long periods of seismic waves. Therefore, this particular scale is most useful for large
earthquakes.
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Name:____________________________

Date:_____________________________

A Shaky Day in San Francisco

Directions: After reading the parts of the book by Ellen Levine, If You Lived at the Time of
the Great San Francisco Earthquake, answer the following questions in complete sentences.
This assessment will be worth 15 points.

1. What aspect of the San Francisco earthquake did you find to be the most surprising? Explain.

2. Based on what you have read, what would be some of the challenges the people living in San
Francisco faced after the earthquake? Explain at least 2 challenges.

3. Write about what you think your experience would be like if you experienced the San Francisco
earthquake. Include things you might hear, feel, see, what you would feel like, what you would
need to do after the earthquake, what would be different, etc. Write at least 5 sentences.
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Shake, Rattle, Roll

Earthquake Laboratory

Background:

The USGS has reported outstanding statistics on the occurrence of earthquakes throughout the world.
They state that each year there are about 7 million earthquakes that occur. While many of these of
earthquakes occur in remote areas of the world or are not strong enough to be felt, in 2010 there were a
total of 21,546 earthquakes worldwide with 2,156 that had a magnitude of 5.0-9.9 (these could be felt).
With so many earthquakes that occur, it’s a wonder society is able to survive these! Thanks to scientists
who studied the effect earthquakes have on buildings, structures, bridges, etc., engineers and architects
can design and build features that are able to withstand the impact of most earthquakes.

Your Task:

You have recently been hired as an architect for a new company, Quake. They have assigned you
the task of designing and constructing new headquarters for their company in three different areas. Being
familiar with the area, you know that the first building is being constructed near the North American
Boundary and Juan de Fuca boundary so it must be able to withstand high impact. The second building is
being constructed about 30 miles away on a hillside. Finally, the third Quake building you must construct
will be in an area where you know the surface, ground, is very unstable and could most likely move if an
earthquake struck.

Your boss tells you that she wants all of the buildings to be about 12 inches tall and that due to tight
finances you may only use the materials provided by the company. You have 15 minutes to construct a
building that will withstand the effects of an earthquake at each location. Good luck!
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Lauren Mroz
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Quake Building One

Your Mission:

This Quake building is being constructed in a high impact location. Using the materials
provided, design a structure that is at least 12 inches high and will remain standing when a
heavy book is dropped next to building. While you are constructing your building be sure to
fill out the observation chart found in the back of this packet. After you have constructed
your building follow the guidelines below to test your structure.

The Test:

1. Tape a piece of graph paper to the floor

2. Put your building on the paper. DO NOT TAPE YOUR BUILDING TO THE PAPER.
3. Trace the foundation of your building on the paper.
4. Using a few yard sticks, measure 2 yards above the ground.
5. Drop a heavy book from this height next to your structure (make sure you do not
drop the book on top of your building)
6. Using a different color, trace the new location of the foundation of your building.
7. Measure the distance the foundation moved, if it moved at all.
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Quake Building Two

Your Mission:

This Quake building is being constructed in on a hillside. Using the materials provided,
design a structure on a slanted surface that is at least 12 inches high and will not slide down
the hill when the side of the hill is impacted. It is important to build your structure on graph
paper making sure that the surface is slanted so one side of the building is higher than the
other. While you are constructing your building be sure to fill out the observation chart
found in the back of this packet. After you have constructed your building follow the
guidelines below to test your structure.

The Test:

1. Build your structure on the graph paper. DO NOT TAPE YOUR BUILDING TO THE
PAPER.
2. Trace the foundation of your building on the paper.
3. Using a few yard sticks, measure 12 inches above the uphill wall.
4. Drop a light weight (box of staples, box of crayons, pack of cards) from this height
uphill of your structure.
5. Using a different color, trace the new location of the foundation of your building.
6. Measure the distance the foundation moved, if it moved at all.
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Shake, Rattle, Roll

Quake Building Three

Your Mission:

This Quake building is being constructed in on an unstable surface. Using the materials
provided, design a structure on an unstable surface that is at least 12 inches high and will
not fall down when surface (ground) moves beneath. While you are constructing your
building be sure to fill out the observation chart found in the back of this packet. After you
have constructed your building follow the guidelines below to test your structure.

The Test:

1. Fill the top of a shoe box with marbles (enough so they can still roll out).
2. Place the building on top of the marbles.
3. Obtain a stopwatch.
4. Slowly slide the box back and forth about 2 inches in either direction (about 1 shake
every 5 seconds)
5. Gradually increase the speed of the shake until you shake 1 time every second.
6. Continue recording results even if the building moves.
7. When the building falls over, stop shaking, and record the speed at which the
building fell.
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Shake, Rattle, Roll

Teachers Guide

Structural How building Why the building

Building
Characteristics withstood testing behaved that way

Building 1: High
Impact

Building 2: Hillside

Building 3: Unstable
surface
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Teachers Guide

Results of Building 1:

 A relatively short, wide building will be more stable than a tall, narrow building. Another design feature that will
help the building's stability is to concentrate most of its mass near the bottom, since a top-heavy building will
tend to be unstable. Since many of the buildings in earthquake-prone cities are skyscrapers, most of them are
narrower at the top than the bottom. An extreme example of this is the pyramid-shaped Transamerica building
in San Francisco, California.

Results of Building 2:

 The building will be most stable if it is given a wide foundation, such as a fan of paper to skirt its bottom to
provide more surface area against the side of the hill. Another strategy would be to brace the building by
attaching straws to the downhill wall that angle down to the hillside surface. Again, as with the High Impact
challenge, a relatively wide building will be more stable than a relatively tall, narrow building.

Results of Building 3:

 This building will be stabilized by focusing most of its mass near the bottom. A pyramid shape would be a very
clever idea, and is unlikely to tip over even when it is being shaken quite rapidly. In some communities where
the ground beneath buildings is quite soft, such as the Marina district of San Francisco, California, which was
badly damaged in 1989, the buildings were literally shaken apart because the soft ground magnified the
intensity of the earthquake. Explain that some new buildings have actually been constructed on rubber
mountings that absorb the shock waves.
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Resource: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/teachers/HumanWave.pdf

Important Information students should understand before this experiment:

1. From the epicenter of an earthquake energy is released.

2. There are two main types of energy that are released in the form of waves. These two types are
P waves and S waves.
3. These two waves have different motions and are what causes the shake that we feel during an
earthquake.

To Begin:

1. Split the class into 2 groups. One group will demonstrate the P wave while the other group
watches, then they will switch places and the second group will demonstrate the S wave.

For the P Wave:

1. Have the students stand in a line side by side with their feet shoulder width apart
2. Tell the students to not be too rigid or limp when pushed
3. Have each person put their arms over the shoulders of the person on either side of them.
a. This simulates the molecules in the wave tightly bound together
4. The teacher will push an end student so that they lean to the side into the person next to them
and then straighten back up.
5. This motion should be transferred from one person to another down the line with the same
force they felt.

Observe that:

1. The motion down the line took a while to reach the end person.
2. Each person only experienced a brief disturbance, then they returned to their original position.
3. As the wave passed from person to person, there was a moment in which the students were
closer together – this shows compression
4. After the wave was passed the students moved back to their original position – this shows
dilation
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For the S Wave:

1. Have the students stand in a line side by side with their feet shoulder width apart.
2. Have each person put their arms over the shoulders of the person on either side of them.
3. Have the first person in the line bend forward at the waist then straighten up again.
4. This motion should be transferred from one person to another down the line with the same
force they felt.

Observe that:

1. The motion down the line took a while to reach the end person.
2. Each person only experienced a brief disturbance, then they returned to their original
position
3. The motion of each person is perpendicular to the direction of propagation

P Wave

S Wave
 Lauren Mroz
GEO 201-02

• Usually not felt

2.5 or Less • 900,000 a year!

• Usually felt at 3.0 , but causes little damage.

2.5 - 5.4 • 30,000 a year.

• Slight damage to buildings

5.5 - 6.0 • 500 a year.

• Can cause a lot of damage in populate areas.

6.1 - 6.9 • 100 a year.

• Serious damage! Major Earthquake.

7.0 - 7.9 • 20 a year.

8.0 or • Most intense earthquakes

• Does the most damage - can destroy near the epicenter
greater! • Usually 1 every 5 - 10 years

Name: _________________________
 Lauren Mroz
GEO 201-02

Date:___________________________

Plotting Epicenters from 2011

Using the map of the world and provided list of earthquakes, gathered by USGS, we will plot of

worldwide epicenter locations during a 3 week period in 2011. Remember that an epicenter is the

point on the earth’s surface directly above where the earthquake occurred underground (hypocenter).

This plot will display the narrow zones in which seismic activity occurs and allow for interpretation on

why earthquakes most often occur within these zones. A list of the only some of the epicenters during

2010 is provided. Using the latitude and longitude coordinates, plot the epicenters on the provided

world map. For each coordinate determine the magnitude (the amount of energy released from an

earthquake based on the Richter scale) and plot the points accordingly. For epicenters with a

magnitude of 4.8-5.9 put a green dot at the location. For epicenters with a magnitude of 6.0 to 6.9

put a blue dot at the location. For epicenters with a magnitude of 7.0-7.9 place a purple dot at the

location. For epicenters with a magnitude of 8.0 or larger place a red dot at the location. When you

are finished plotting the epicenters begin answering the question that interprets your world map and

be prepared to discuss your observations! Have fun!

Lauren Mroz
GEO 201-02
 Lauren Mroz
GEO 201-02

Plotting Epicenters from 2011

The table below is a list of epicenter for a 3 week period in 2011, notice the latitude, longitude, and
magnitude of each epicenter and be sure to plot these coordinates correctly. Don’t forget to use the
correct colors for each magnitude.
Year Day Time Lat. Long. Dep. Magnitude

Year Day Time Latitude Longitude Depth (km) Magnitude

2011 11-3 3:47 p.m. 55 164 21.9 5
2011 11-6 2:03 p.m. 54 159 156.7 4.5
2011 11-7 1:46 a.m. 45 149 158.4 5.1
2011 10-31 8:59 p.m. 43 145 55.3 4.8
2011 10-30 11:08 p.m. 38 142 30.4 4.9
2011 10-25 5:08 p.m. 37 144 16 5.2
2011 11-05 7:56 a.m. 39 143 42 4.8
2011 10-24 9:37 p.m. 38 141 58.7 4.6
2011 11-1 12:32 p.m. 19 -109 5.0 6.3
2011 11-5 8:46 p.m. 57 -135 1.8 4.7
2011 10-27 6:37 a.m. 39 -120 16 4.7
2011 11-1 3:38 p.m. 36 -117 4.7 4.1
2011 11-7 4.44 a.m. -3.7 149 34.8 5.2
2011 10-24 4:26 p.m. -5.3 146 187.8 4.5
2011 10-27 1:20 a.m. -15 169 39.7 4.9
2011 11-3 1:56 p.m. -10 161 144 5.6
2011 10-28 11:06 a.m. -28 -176 10 5.7
2011 11-6 6:53 p.m. -20 -178 596 4.7
2011 10-30 11:52 a.m. -3 101 36 5.6
2011 11-6 2:17 p.m. 2 97 65 4.7
2011 11-7 10:36 a.m. -14 -76 52.4 4.7
2011 10-29 5:33 a.m. -15 -76 22 4.8
2011 10-28 11:46 p.m. -15 -76 19.7 6.2
2011 10-28 6:54 p.m. -14 -75 24 6.9
2011 11-5 7:13 a.m. -23 -70 33 5.9
2011 11-1 10:28 p.m. -24 -67 204 4.6
2011 10-30 6:53 p.m. -25 -70 47 6.0
2011 11-2 7:01 p.m. 9 -84 39 5.4
2011 11-3 6:37 a.m. -55 -28 48 4.9
2011 11-6 2:43 a.m. 38 43 5.0 4.7
2011 110-27 11:43 a.m. 37 43 17 5.2
2011 10-24 3:38 p.m. 38 43 10 5.0
2011 11-6 8:56 p.m. 36 25 36 4.8
2011 10-25 2:32 a.m. 70 -5 16 5.0
2011 11-6 2:35 a.m. 15 -60 61 4.8
2011 10-31 1:22 a.m. 12 48 10 5.0
 Lauren Mroz
GEO 201-02

2011 10-25 6:07 a.m. -12 -14 9.9 5.3

2011 11-6 3:52 a.m. 35 -97 5.0 5.6
2011 11-7 11:59 a.m. 36 71 219 5.5
2011 10-24 2:35 p.m. 41 79 44 4.1
2011 11-6 4:41 a.m. -6 106 160 5.3
2011 10-31 6:28 a.m. 14 -92 84 4.4
 Lauren Mroz
GEO 201-02

Name: _______________________________

Date:_________________________________

Plotting Epicenters from 2011

Directions: When you are finished plotting the location of epicenters on your map, begin to
work on these discussion questions. Give these questions a lot of thought! Write down any
questions you may have while pondering these questions on the back of the paper. Get to
thinking!! :)

Questions for Pondering:

1. Where do you see the most earthquakes?

2. Is there a pattern to the location of earthquakes?

3. Why do you think the earthquakes occur where they do?

4. Where are there the highest magnitude earthquakes?

5. Are there more high magnitude or low magnitude earthquakes?

6. What types of boundaries might be most associated with high magnitude earthquakes? Low

magnitude?

7. Do you see anything unusual about the location of the earthquakes?

 Lauren Mroz
GEO 201-02

Name:_________________________
Date:_________________________

Earrrthquaaaake!
Final Assessment
Directions: We have spent the past week learning all about earthquakes. Now it is your turn to
demonstrate everything you have learned! Read each question below slowly and think about the question
before answering. Take your time, don’t rush, you will do great! If you have any question raise your hand
and I will come by to help you. Good luck!

Multiple Choice:

Directions: Reach each question and every possible answer completely. Select your answer
by completely circling the correct choice answer. Each question will have only 1 correct
answer. Each question is worth 2 points.

1. The epicenter of an earthquake is

a. The location above the point of origin on the surface of the earth.
b. A specific type of faulting that causes an earthquake.
c. The location below the point of origin in the inner core of the earth.
2. Earthquakes occur at which of the following locations
a. Transform Boundaries
b. Fault lines
c. All of the above
3. The study of earthquake waves is called
a. Earthology
b. Waveology
c. Seismology
 Lauren Mroz
GEO 201-02

4. How do rock molecules move during a P wave?

a. Rolling in a circular motion
b. Back and forth parallel to the direction of the wave travels
c. Back and forth perpendicular to the direction the wave travels
5. Based on the plotting epicenters activity, the least common magnitude to occur is
a. 4.0 – 5.9
b. 6.0 – 7.9
c. 8.0 or greater
6. Earthquakes with the largest magnitude and cause the most damage occur along
a. Convergent boundaries
b. Divergent boundaries
c. Transform boundaries
7. In order to be felt, an earthquake must have a magnitude of at least
a. 2.0
b. 3.0
c. 6.0
8. Which of the following statements is false?
a. Earthquakes are caused by stress & strain on the earth’s crust
b. When an earthquake occurs energy is released in the form of seismic waves
c. Only one earthquake can occur in a given area
9. What is the correct order in which waves are arrive from first to last?
a. P wave – S wave – Surface wave
b. Surface Wave – P wave – S wave
c. S wave – Surface Wave – P wave
 Lauren Mroz
GEO 201-02

10. An earthquake occurs when

a. Random waves are sent from the inner core to the surface of the earth.
b. Vibrations from other earthquakes cause a new earthquake
c. Slippage occurs along preexisting faults
11. Earthquakes occur along which of the following faults?
a. Normal Faulting
b. Reverse Faulting
c. All of the above
12. The location at which movement occurred triggering an earthquake is called the
a. Hypocenter (focus)
b. Epicenter
c. Fault line

True/False:

Directions: Carefully read the statements below then decide if the statement is true of
false. Mark the letter T for true or F for false in the space provided. Each statement is worth
1 point.

13. The largest wave of an earthquake occurs first, so it is called the foreshock _______
14. There are 2 main types of seismic waves, surface waves and body waves _______
15. The intensity of an earthquake is measured on the Richter Scale _______
16. Mainshocks always have aftershocks _______
17. The San Andres Fault is along divergent boundaries _______
 Lauren Mroz
GEO 201-02

Fill in the blank:

Directions: Read each question below and determine what word or phrase best completes
the statement. Write the answer in the space provided for each question. Each question is
worth 1 point.

18. All earthquakes occur along ________________ in the Earth’s crust.

19. We measure earthquakes based on intensity and ________________.
20.When slippage occurs, stored energy is released in the form of ________________.
21. The location pattern earthquakes follow is along the ________________ of the
different plates.
22. The location below the surface where the origin of the earthquake occurs is called
the ________________.

***When you are finished:

1. Go back over your answers and make sure you have selected the correct choice
2. In a different color, circle the number of the question you think were unsure of when
deciding upon an answer
3. Write the score you think you received in the space provided below. Remember each
multiple choice is worth 2 points, each true and false is worth 1 point and each fill in
the blank is worth 1 point. That makes this exam worth a total of 34 points

The score I think I received is ______________________ out of 34.

The score I actually received is ______________________ out of 34.

 Lauren Mroz
GEO 201-02

Earrrthquaaaake!
Answer Sheet

1. A
2. C
3. C
4. B
5. C
6. A
7. B
8. C
9. A
10. C
11. C
12. A
13. F
14. T
15. F
16. T
17. F
18. Fault
19. Magnitude
20. Seismic Wave
21. Boundaries
22. Hypocenter or Focus or Origin