Earthquakes

Book Chapter | March 2011

The Reading on Earthquakes elaborates on the concepts presented in the Activities section of Project Earth Science: Geology, Revised 2nd Edition. This Reading was written especially for this volume with the teacher in…

Earthquakes

Book Chapter | April 2012

Believe it or not, there is a 100% chance that an earthquake will happen somewhere in the world today. Although many of us think of Earth as solid ground, the crust is always moving. Most earthquakes are too small to…

GeoPatterns: Global Earthquake Distribution

Book Chapter | March 2011

Do earthquakes occur randomly, or are there patterns to their distribution? Does where earthquakes occur shed light on why they occur? What causes earthquakes? What determines where an earthquake will occur? In this…

What Does an Earthquake Feel Like?

Book Chapter | November 2010

In this Data Puzzle, students examine real newspaper accounts of the August 10, 1884, earthquake in the northeastern United States and gain firsthand experience applying the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale to the…

Shake It Up: Earthquakes and Damage to Buildings

Book Chapter | March 2011

Nearly all locations on Earth experience occasional earthquakes, although most of them are not large enough to cause significant damage. In this activity, students will use sugar cubes to investigate and compare the…

What Do You Know About Volcanoes and Earthquakes?

Book Chapter | March 2016

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about plate tectonic features and events. The probe is designed to uncover commonly held misconceptions about volcanoes and earthquakes. If students…

Redefining Earthquakes and the Earthquake Machine

Journal Article | January 2008

The Earthquake Machine (EML), a mechanical model of stick-slip fault systems, can increase student engagement and facilitate opportunities to participate in the scientific process. This article introduces the EML model…

Understanding Earthquakes

Journal Article | April 2018

Investigating the Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake of 2004

Earthquake Analysis

Journal Article | April 2000

Earth science students are expected to master the travel-time curves of the seismic waves generated at the focus of an earthquake and recorded at seismograph stations. Commonly, students are required to calculate the…

Connecting Earthquakes and Violins

Journal Article | November 2005

Violins, earthquakes, and the "singing rod" demonstration all have something in common--stick-slip frictional motion. This article begins with a typical classroom experiment used to understand the transition between…

Real Earthquakes, Real Learning

Journal Article | September 2003

One teacher took her class on a year long earthquake expedition. The goal was to monitor the occurrences of real earthquakes during the year and mark their locations with push pins on a wall-sized world map in the…

Career of the Month: Earthquake Engineer

Journal Article | December 2015

This column shares interviews with professionals using science in the workplace. This month’s issue describes Ron Eguchi's career path to becoming an earthquake engineer.

Bringing Earthquake Engineering to Your Hometown

Journal Article | December 2013

Design earthquake-resistant buildings and bridges for your local area.

Teaching Through Trade Books: Earthquakes!

Journal Article | September 2011

This column includes activities inspired by children’s literature. This month’s issue covers two books that deal with earthquakes.

Idea Bank: Using Earthquakes as "Teachable Moments"

Journal Article | March 2016

The Idea Bank provides tips and techniques for creative teaching, in about 1,000 words. This month’s Idea Bank highlights the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) Education and Public Outreach…