PRESENTER: DAVID RUPPELFOR 9 T H GRADE EARTH SCIENCE

EDU 505WINTER 2010

Earthquakes

Introduction

Earthquakes can be horrible disasters and cause tremendous devastation and loss of life, like the one that just occurred in Haiti.

Scientists investigate earthquakes so that they can be able to predict when and where they will happen next.

I have created this WebQuest in order for you to understand more about the causes and effects of this natural disaster, and why they are an important part of the Earth Science curriculum.

Task

You and your partner will learn as much as you can about the what, where, how, and why of earthquakes before advancing to an activity that demonstrates how earthquake waves (seismic waves) are used to uncover the size (magnitude) and location of their source (epicenter).

This activity will guide you through the actual steps seismologists use by asking you to submit data through a user interface.

There is an assessment exam at the end that will provide you with a certificate of completion and provide me with how well you understand these concepts.

Procedure

Please first go to: http://projects.crustal.ucsb.edu/understanding, and take the Earthquake Quiz to see what you know so far. Answer the first question and read the explanation to your answer on the following page.

The Tsunami's generated by earthquakes, like the one off Chile, can be deadly. Before going on to Question #2, open another browser window and then go to: http://www.teachersfirst.com/getsource.cfm?id=5633, and look through before and after photos of their devastating effects.

Procedure (continued)

Now answer Questions #2 and #3, and read their answer explanations. The coasts off Alaska and California lie along the “Ring of Fire” in the Pacific Ocean.

The Ring of Fire consists of over 75% of the world’s active and dormant volcanoes. Why is that? How is that related to plate tectonic theory (covered in our next unit)?

Go to: http://geography.about.com/cs/earthquakes/a/ringoffire.htm in the other browser window to answer these questions and record them in your earth science journals.

Procedure (continued)

Go on to answer Question #4 on the Quiz and again read the explanation to your answer. You will be learning more about seismic instruments and seismic waves later in the lesson.

Now return to the title page of “Understanding Earthquakes,” and click the link marked “Globe.” Can you find the Ring of Fire on the rotating globe?

OK, now go back and click the “Rebound” link. This gives an explanation of how earthquakes occur, called the “elastic rebound theory.” Click on the animation to see how roads can be affected by earthquakes.

Click on the “History” link if you’d like to learn more about the history of seismology.

Procedure (continued)

Now that you’ve learned much about the what, where, how, and why of earthquakes, you will review the two important waves they propagate and how they are used to locate an earthquake epicenter.

Then you will advance to the interactive activity I mentioned earlier in the Task section.

Please go to: http://www.seismo.unr.edu/ftp/pub/louie/class/100/seismic-waves.html, and study the information on this page.

Procedure (continued)

Now you’re ready for the fun stuff! Please now go to your own computer stations and go to: http://www.sciencecourseware.org/eec/Earthquake.

Click on some or all of those incredible photos to get a hint of the potential disaster an earthquake creates.

Now review the two tutorial links on the site entitled, SPLagTime and Latitude/Longitude (recall we covered Lat/Long in our last unit together?)

When you’re done with the tutorials, it’s time for the main event.

Procedure (continued)

Go through the Travel Time and Epicenter & Magnitude interactive activities and then take the assessment quiz when you’re done.

Read the Background and Assignment information tabs first to help guide you through the activities, and the Glossary when you don’t understand a term.

Fill out all the information required, as I will be sent copies of your results for my assessment.

Good luck!

Resources

These are a listing of the websites you visited:

Understanding Earthquakeshttp://projects.crustal.ucsb.edu/understanding Tsunami! Before and Afterhttp://www.teachersfirst.com/getsource.cfm?id=5633 Ring of Fire – The Pacific Ring of Firehttp://geography.about.com/cs/earthquakes/a/ringoffire.htm Seismic Waveshttp://www.seismo.unr.edu/ftp/pub/louie/class/100/seismic-waves.html Welcome to Earthquakehttp://www.sciencecourseware.org/eec/Earthquake

Resources (continued)

And here are a few others that may interest you:

A Virtual Tour of the 1906 Earthquake in Google Earthhttp://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/nca/virtualtour/index.php Exploratorium: Faultline, Seismic Science at the Epicenterhttp://www.exploratorium.edu/faultline/index.html?

CFID=14298882&CFTOKEN=84445189

Evaluation

Assessment quiz performance: 50%Quality of answers in Earth Science Journal:

30% (Grammar and spelling count!)My opinion of your use of time with your

partner and individually: 20%

Conclusion

Congratulations! You should now know a great deal more about the cause, effects, and measurement techniques of earthquakes. These natural disasters will plague mankind for now and in the future.

Perhaps if you further your career in earth science, you will investigate them more fully, and maybe someday understand them well enough to better protect sensitive populations from these sudden catastrophic events.