Physical Science 101
Earthquakes
Below is an outline for the video Earthquakes, part of the Earth Revealed series. This video will not be viewed in class. Watch this video at the following link: Earth Revealed: Earthquakes. Once on the web page, scroll down the video listings to "9. Earthquakes" and click on the "VoD" icon.
Earth Revealed: Earthquakes
Earthquake Myths
Earthquakes Defined
Seismic Waves
• P-Waves
• S-Waves
• L-Waves
• R-Waves
Seismographs
Magnitude Scales
Surface Waves
Parkfield, California Project
Motion Detection Equipment
Earthquakes
What are earthquakes?
How are earthquakes generated?
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
What is the hypocenter of an earthquake?
What is the epicenter of an earthquake?
Where do most earthquakes occur?
With what tectonic features are earthquakes associated?
Seismic Waves
What are the four forms of seismic waves and their properties?
1)
2)
3)
4)
Location of the Epicenter
How is this difference in seismic wave speed used to determine the distance to the epicenter of the earthquake?
Distance to the epicenter equation:
Earthquake Magnitudes
What is the magnitude of an earthquake really measuring?
What is the earthquake scale?
Magnitude Size
| Magnitude | Times Larger than a Magnitude 1 | Exponential |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 300 |
| 2 | 301 | |
| 3 | 302 | |
| 4 | 303 | |
| 5 | 304 | |
| 6 | 305 | |
| 7 | 306 | |
| 8 | 307 | |
| 9 | 308 |
Largest Earthquakes
| Largest Earthquakes in the World Since 1900 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Location | Year | Magnitude |
| 1. Chile | 1960 | |
| 2. Prince William, Alaska | 1964 | |
| 3. Off the Coast of N. Sumatra | 2004 | |
| 4. Kamchatka | 1952 | |
| 5. East coast of Honshu, Japan | 2011 | |
| 6. Offshore Maule, Chile | 2010 | |
| 7. Off the Coast of Ecuador | 1906 | |
| 8. N. Sumatra, Indonesia | 2005 | |
| 9. Rat Islands, Alaska | 1965 | |
| 10. Andreanof Islands., Alaska | 1957 | |
Earthquakes Damage
Why does an earthquake destroy or seriously damage one building, while buildings on either side of it may be undamaged or only slightly damaged?
Earthquake Monitoring
With what type of equipment are seismic waves measured?
What are some of the tools and equipment being used to monitor and predict earthquakes?
Can earthquakes be predicted with any certainty?
Additional Resources
Google Earth KML File: Earthquakes: 1990 to 2005, >Mag. 5
Link requires that you already have Google Earth loaded on your computer. Clicking on the link will open the file in your Temporary Places folder in Google Earth.