Earthquakes and Seismic Waves
Day 1: SEISMIC WAVES RESEARCH
Directions: Research the following about earthquakes and seismic waves. Answer all questions in your science notebook on the
designated page IN YOUR OWN WORDS. Plagiarism earns a grade of ZERO.
Copy and complete the data table below in your notebooks. Look on the board to see which page.
Name of wave
Associated with
EQ
Type of
Wave?
(compression
or transverse)
Mediums it
Can & Cannot
travel
through
Explanation/description
of wave
Diagram/Sketch
P-Wave
(Primary Wave)
S-Wave
(Secondary Wave)
Useful websites to find information:
www.geo.mtu.edu/UPSeis/waves.html
http://allshookup.org/quakes/wavetype.htm
www.google.com
I.
Answer each question below with a minimum of 2-3 complete sentences.
Please put into your own words. Include all important vocabulary.
Go to http://www.colorado.edu/physics/phys2900/homepages/Marianne.Hogan/waves.html
1. A. How does the movement of seismic waves provided evidence for the current understanding of
Earth’s interior?
B. Diagram and label the focus of an earthquake and Earth’s interior.
Go to http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learning/kids/eqscience.php
2. What is an earthquake?
3. What causes earthquakes and where do they happen?
4. Why does the earth shake when there is an earthquake? Which type of wave causes this?
5. How are earthquakes recorded?
6. How do scientists measure the size of earthquakes? (Include types of scales
http://www.geo.mtu.edu/UPSeis/intensity.html)
7. How can scientists tell where the earthquake happened?
8. Can scientists predict earthquakes? Explain.
If time permits, google seismic wave animations and view several animation.
Day 2: EARTHQUAKE RESEARCH
YOU MUST COMPLETE ALL COMPONENTS OF DAY 1 IN ORDER TO MOVE ON.
Complete this assignment IN YOUR NOTEBOOK! Look on board to see which page #.
1. Go to Recent Earthquakes
How many earthquakes have occurred today in the U.S.? How many
worldwide? (zoom out to see a world view of recent EQs)
2. Create a data table recording a minimum of 10 recent (within the last month) earthquakes for a
region of your choice.
Your data table should include:

Region, Country or State (i.e. Chili, Japan, Nevada, California…)

magnitude of the quake

date/time it happened
Use the website below to assist you with the data collection.
Region, Country, or State
3. Use the information from your data table to create an appropriate graph of these earthquakes.
4. Record a minimum of 5 interesting facts you did NOT previously know about Earthquakes. (Complete
sentences!)
You will find the following sites to be extremely useful:
1. USGS: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learning/kids/eqscience.php
2. What is Seismology and what are Seismic Waves: www.geo.mtu.edu/UPSeis/waves.html
3. Earthquakes - Earth Science – Australia:
http://earthsci.org/education/teacher/basicgeol/earthq/earthq.html
4. USGS: Recent Earthquakes by Region:
http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/QUAKES/CURRENT/index.html
(or just Google “A listing of the most recent earthquakes by area/region.”)
Other Helpful Sites:
5. Google: Seismic waves animations
6. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/