Name:_______________________
STUDENT INVESTIGATION
YR 6 - EARTHQUAKES DOWN UNDER
Focus Question: How can we predict earthquakes?
Resources:
Computer
ABC Splash Video
Geoscience Australia Website
World Map of Tectonic Plates and Movement
Earthquake Information Table
Science Journal
1. Before watching the video participate in a whole class discussion of the following questions.
What do you think it is like to be in a major earthquake? How could you be hurt or killed? What
would you do to protect yourself in an earthquake? Brainstorm and record in your answers in your
science journal.
2. Watch the ABC Splash Video on How to Predict Earthquakes and the work that scientists are
conducting in the field regarding this natural disaster.
3.
Working in pairs access the Geoscience Australia Website at this link Earthquake Activity.
Take a few minutes to explore the site, change the when and where to see where earthquakes
have occurred around the world. Note the Map Legend to help you interpret what you are seeing.
Refine the search to show occurrence of all earthquakes in Australia and the region in the last
seven days (see screen shot).
4. Using the Earthquake Information Table resource (either open at the same time or as a hard
copy).
 use the real time data displayed on the second half of the screen to record magnitude and
location of earthquakes in Australia and in neighbouring countries.
 Try to keep countries and locations that are similar together for example all WA quakes
grouped together or all PNG quakes grouped together.
 You will need this data to construct a graph to represent this information so you can
compare the frequency and magnitude of earthquakes in Australia and neighbouring
countries. Scientists do this to help them analyse and interpret data.
 You must save this information into your folder on the hard drive if using a computer or
similarly just complete the sheet. (Example of a completed sheet, 2011 data).
Earthquake information: 1–15 December 2011
Earthquake magnitude
(Richter scale)
Australia
2 Australia (NSW)
2.1 Australia (NSW)
2.2 Australia (NSW)
2 Australia (SA)
2.4 Australia (SA)
1.7 Australia (SA)
2.4 Australia (SA)
1.9 Australia (NT)
5.1 Australia (WA)
1.9 Australia (SA)
1.7 Australia (SA)
2 Australia (VIC)
3.4 Australia (WA)
2 Australia (WA)
1.8 Australia (WA)
Earthquake magnitude
(Richter scale)
Neighbouring
countries
5.2 Indonesia
5.4 Indonesia
5.7 Indonesia
5.1 Indonesia
5 Indonesia
5.2 Indonesia
6.3 Indonesia
5.2 Indonesia
5.2 New Zealand
5 Papua New Guinea
7.2 Papua New Guinea
5.1 Santa Cruz Islands
5.2 Solomon Islands
5.3 Tonga Islands
5.2 Tonga Islands
5.
You can use excel if computers are available, or draw in your science journal. Construct a
graph with an appropriate title - look at the information you have collected, what might that title be?
The "x axis" of your graph should be Richter Scale Magnitude, why? and your "y axis" should be
the number of earthquakes. Make sure that you use a different colour to represent Australia and a
different colour to represent neighbouring countries - two colours in total. Save your graph into
your folder on the hard drive if using a computer program. (see example below).

Discuss and record in your journal or online, with your partner what patterns the graph
indicates.

How would you describe the difference in earthquake activity
between Australia and Neighbouring Countries?

Where do stronger earthquakes occur, Australia or Neighbouring Countries?
6. Download and print or open the World Map of Tectonic Plates and Movement. Plot the places
where earthquakes have occurred in the last seven days in Australia and neighbouring countries.
Discuss and record in your journal or online the following:

Using your understanding of tectonic plate movement where have the earthquakes
occurred?

Why do stronger earthquakes occur near plate boundaries?

Why do earthquakes occur in Australia which is located in the middle of a
tectonic plate?

Where would you choose to live to be safe?

What things could people who live in areas prone to strong earthquakes do to safeguard
themselves and their surrounding against effect of earthquake?
7. The Australian Government, in conjunction, with Japan, China and the USA are joining forces
to develop an early warning system (refer the ABC Splash video watched earlier).

If you had an extra ten seconds warning of an earthquake, what else could you do to
protect yourself?
8. When you have completed your sheet, save your work if you
have completed it online, into your folder on the hard drive and print
it out for your Teacher. Or if you have completed these questions in
your Science Journal, please hand to the teacher once completed.