Exploring Earthquakes
Created By: Madi Solomon
&
Madelyn Dzierzynski
How many original “supercontinents” did
Wegner’s theory of continental drift
assume?
• There is only 1
“supercontinent”
and it is called
Pangaea.
What are the major plates that
affect the United States?
• The major plates that
affected the U.S are
North American Plate,
Juan De Fuca Plate,
and Pacific Plate. If
you include Puerto
Rico, then it should
include the Carribean
Plate.
Why do think California has so many
earthquakes but Florida doesn’t?
• California is located in
the highest hazard
zone area. Florida is
located in the lowest
hazard zone area.
Illinois is in the 2-4
category range.
What is considered to be the most
destructive earthquake in history?
• WHICH- the 1556 Jiajing
earthquake is the
deadliest earthquake on
record.
• Magnitude-8
• Death Toll- harming
approximately 830,000
people.
• When- it occurred on the
morning of 23 January
1556 AD.
• Where- in Shaanxi, China
and 97 counties in
province of Shaanxi.
What are three basic types of plate
boundaries?
• The three basic types of
plate boundaries are
convergent boundaries –
plates that go toward
each other, divergent
boundaries – plates that
move away from each
other, and transform
boundaries – two plates
moving past each other.
What are Tsunamis? What causes
them? How fast do they travel?
• Tsunamis are waves
caused by the
displacement of water
from an earthquake.
They usually move
about 600 mph.
What are two types of energy waves
created by an earthquake and how do they
differ? Which type of wave travels faster?
• The two types of energy
waves created by
earthquakes are primary
and secondary waves.
They differ because a
primary wave is a pulse
of energy that travels
quickly through the Earth
and liquid. A secondary
wave follows more slowly
with a swaying motion
that shakes the ground.
The primary waves
travels faster.
How much more energy is released by
a 7.2 earthquake than a 6.2
earthquake?
• 7.2 earthquake
produces 10 times
more ground motion
than a magnitude 6.2
earthquake, but it
releases about 32
times more energy.
What applications does seismology have
besides measuring the magnitude and
location of earthquakes?
•
Reflection and refraction
seismology can be used
in geophysical
exploration to locate
layers of varying density
which can be used for
example to locate
underground
hydrocarbons in the oil
and gas industry.
Seismology has also
provided us with
information on the
internal structure and
state of matter of the
interior of the Earth.
Where did most of the earthquakes
happen last week?
• The most
earthquakes that
occurred last week
were in California.
The most recent
earthquake was
occurred in Southern
California.
Can scientist predict earthquakes?
• No, and it is unlikely they
will ever be able to
predict them. Scientists
have tried many different
ways of predicting
earthquakes, but none
have been successful. On
any particular fault,
scientists know there will
be another earthquake
sometime in the future,
but they have no way of
telling when it will
happen.
How do scientist know where an
earthquake actually occurred?
• Seismograms come in
handy for locating
earthquakes and being
able to see the P wave
and the S wave is
important. You learned
how P & S waves each
shake the ground in
different ways as they
travel through it. P waves
are also faster than S
waves, and this fact is
what allows us to tell
where an earthquake
was.
Thank You For Watching!
We Hope You Enjoyed!