Your Name:

Earth Science Partner’s Name:

EARTHQUAKES ON THE WEB

Introduction

Earthquakes are among Earth’s most spectacular natural phenomena. Understanding what causes earthquakes, how we can use earthquake waves to learn about Earth’s interior, and other aspects of seismology (the study of earthquakes) are important parts of the Physical Setting/Earth Science Core Concepts. In this activity, you and your partner will have the opportunity to learn more about these. You will also learn more about how to use the computer as a research and instruction tool. These skills are also very important skills for many things you’ll do in your future.

Procedure

1. Copy and save this page into your home folder. Work from the copy. You may also want to try to make a backup of your work in your partner’s folder.

Listed below are some questions about earthquakes related to the Regents curriculum. Find answers in the suggested web sites or electronic encyclopedia you, and answer then in the space after the question. If you copy and paste anything from a web page, be sure to provide suitable credit by including the URL. Finally, you should recheck (edit or change) your response to be sure you are answering the question asked.

When you have a question, raise your hand and wait patiently for help. Ask other students for help before asking the teacher.

When you are completely finished, send me your work to the Groupshare "Inbox." [If you are using this in another school network, follow the appropriate procedures for your system.]

Internet Sites to Get You Started

U.S. Geological Survey: www.usgs.gov. 

            http://earthquake.usgs.gov/

            http://earthquake.usgs.gov/4kids/   

            http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/tsunami/

            http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/states/state_largest.html

Lamont-Doherty Cooperative Seismographic Network:

http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/LCSN/

http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/LCSN/eus.html  

International Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) Consortium

            http://www.iris.edu/about/ENO/

           Of special interest:  fault animations

You may also find useful information in the Encarta encyclopedia.

Questions to be Answered

1.      What is an earthquake (fault)?  

2.      What are the three major types of faults?  [Provide images of each type.]

3.      Describe the three types of seismic waves.  

4.      What is the difference between "epicenter" and "hypocenter" ("focus")? 

5.      How can seismologists locate where earthquakes happen?

6.      What do the Richter and Mercalli scales measure?  

7.      Where in the world do most earthquakes occur?

8.      Where did earthquakes occur today?  

9.      How likely is it that we will experience an earthquake here in New York?  

10.  What was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in New York? Anywhere? How powerful was the  26 Dec 2004 Sumatra event?

Activity 1

Go to http://www.sciencecourseware.com/VirtualEarthquake/

 Select "Virtual Earthquake." First, read carefully through the information provided. Then work through the activity to find the epicenter and Richter scale magnitude for one of the simulated quakes. When you have finished, copy and paste your certificate here.

     (If you do more than one, you can receive extra credit for the next test. Attach the certificate for all you complete as proof.)

Activity 2

Go to http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/tsunami/ and browse through various parts of this page. Then write a 3- 5 paragraph essay about what tsunamis are, their relationships to earthquakes, to 26 December 2004 tsunami, and one or two other ideas about this topic that you consider important.

Extra Credit

Go to http://earth2class.org/curr_units/index.php and then find the “Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Plate Tectonics” section. Look through the “Selected Labs and Activities” and/or “Selected Websites.” If you choose to do one of the activities, submit your work to me. If you choose to view of the websites, write a one-page report describing what you learned from it.

Connections to the New York State MST Standards

Standard 1 Analysis, Inquiry, and Design

Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering design, as appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions. 

Standard 2 Information Systems

Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies.

 Standard 3—Mathematics

Measurement

1.Students use measurements in both metric and English measure to provide a major link between the abstractions of mathematics and the real world in order to describe and compare objects and data.

Uncertainty

1.Students use ideas of uncertainty to illustrate that mathematics involves more than exactness when dealing with everyday situations.

Standard 4: Science

Physical Setting

1.The earth and celestial phenomena can be described by principles of relative motion and perspective.

2.Many of the phenomena that we observe on Earth involve interactions among components of air, water, and land.

 Standard 6: Interconnectedness:

Models

1.Models are simplified representations of objects, structures, or systems used in analysis, explanation, interpretation, or design.

Magnitude and Scale

1.The grouping of magnitudes of size, time, frequency, and pressures or other units of measurement into a series of relative order provides a useful way to deal with the immense range and the changes in scale that affect the behavior and design of systems.