Where do earthquakes and volcanoes commonly occur? –Near plate boundaries Why? –Plate edges scrape together causing vibrations or where plates collide (oceanic and continental boundaries)

Earthquakes What: Vibrations caused by the breaking of rock.

2004 Japan

December 2004, Sumatra

May 2008, China

Oakland, CA. The upper level of the two-level structure roadway has collapsed onto the lower level. The columns failed in response to the October 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. 41 people were killed in the collapse.

How does an earthquake occur? Plates shift position Vibrations disrupt the surrounding area

December 1954, Dixie Valley, NV (magnitude 6.8) The shack was relatively undamaged, despite being only a few meters from the two- to three-meter offset.

1989 Loma Prieta Fault, CA

Where do earthquakes occur? Along fault lines (cracks in the plates) and plate boundaries

Earthquakes may be deep underground or right at the surface

Earthquakes in the 7 days

NJ’s most recent quake October 9 th, 2009 Magnitude 2.1 Largest ever in NJ: –11/29/1783 –magnitude 5.3 –felt from NH to PA

How is an Earthquake measured? Seismograph measures waves from an earthquake, the ground moves up and down but the weight with pen stays at the same level.

Richter Scale Lines drawn by the pen determine magnitude (strength of quake) on Richter scale Scale goes from 0 & up, 6+ causes serious damage. 9.5 highest recorded quake (1960 – Chile)

Ancient Chinese Seismograph 132 AD, Zhang Heng -scientist A central pendulum swings with a quake, thus pulling on a dragon, which releases a ball into the toad’s mouth making a sound and marking the direction of the quake.

Damage Can crack buildings and roadways (billions of dollars in damages) Can trigger fires, landslides, and tsunamis Kills an average of 10,000 people a year China: over 87,000 people died in a 7.9 magnitude earthquake

Largest and Deadliest Earthquakes in the World Historical Earthquake List:

Earthquake Demo/Summary

How to win a Nobel Prize Unanswered Questions about Earthquakes  What starts or stops an earthquake?  Do earthquakes “talk'' to each other? In other words, does one earthquake trigger the next earthquake? If so, how/why?  Can earthquakes be predicted, and if so, how?  earthquakes/story?id= earthquakes/story?id=

Earthquake Safety Knowing what to do before, during, and after an earthquake can help you and your family survive.

Build quake resistant buildings that move with the earth as it vibrates

Earthquake Safety Move or secure objects on high shelves

Earthquake Safety Stay indoors during the shaking and stand in a doorway or hide under a sturdy table away from windows and high objects. ontent/visualizations/es1005/es1005page01.cfm?cha pter_no=visualization

Drop, Cover, and Hold On!

After the quake Move outdoors to open areas quickly, watch for falling objects during aftershocks

Be Aware of Falling Debris

Earthquake Safety Tips BEFORE AN EARTHQUAKE: Have a disaster plan. Choose a safe place in every room. It’s best to get under a sturdy piece of furniture like a table or a desk where nothing can fall on you. Practice DROP, COVER AND HOLD ON! Drop under something sturdy, hold on, and protect your eyes by pressing your face against your arm. If you live in an earthquake prone area, bolt tall furniture to the wall and install strong latches to cupboards. Prepare a disaster supplies kit for your home and car. Include a first aid kit, canned food and a can opener, bottled water, battery-operated radio, flashlight, protective clothing and written instructions on how to turn off electricity, gas, and water. DURING AN EARTHQUAKE: DROP, COVER AND HOLD ON! Stay indoors until the shaking stops. Stay away from windows. If you’re in bed, hold on and stay there, protecting your head with a pillow. If you’re outdoors, find a clear spot away from buildings, trees and power lines. Then, drop to the ground. If you’re in a car, slow down and drive to a safe place. Stay in the car until the shaking stops. AFTER THE SHAKING STOPS: Check for injuries. Inspect your home for damage. Eliminate fire hazards, so turn off the gas if you think its leaking. Expect aftershocks. Each time you feel one, DROP, COVER AND HOLD ON.

Tsunamis

What is a tsunami? Japanese words tsu (harbor) and nami (waves) It is a wave or series of waves in the ocean that can be hundreds of miles long and have been known to reach heights of up to 34 ft Waves can travel at speeds close to 300 mph They can cause massive damage and kill many along coastal lands.

How does it happen? Triggered by underwater earthquakes which forces the water upward The wave moves outward in all directions As waves reach shallow water, it slows down and gets taller.

Can I surf a Tsunami Wave? Typical Tsunami Wave vs. Typical Wind-generated Wave Wave Feature Wind- generated Wave Tsunami Wave Wave Speed 5-60 mph (8-100 kph) mph (800-1,000 kph) Wave Period (time required for two waves to pass a single point in space) 5 to 20 seconds apart 10 minutes to 2 hours apart Wave Length (horizontal distance between two waves) feet apart ( meters apart) miles apart ( km apart)

Dec Tsunami 9.2 Earthquake in Indian Ocean caused it Killed 230,000 people Made clear that tsunami warning systems are needed globally

Prior to this earthquake the Indian Plate was moving beneath the Burma Plate, meeting resistance and compression forces accumulated. When the fault between these two plates suddenly slipped a rupture approximately 1,200 kilometers long developed in the ocean floor with a vertical displacement of about 15 meters. The boundary between the plates and the line of failure are shown on the map below as the blue saw-tooth line.

Contour lines-arrival time, colors- wave height

Saving lives Currently there is a warning system in the Pacific Ocean. (none in the Indian or Atlantic) Buoys alert satellites, which relay information to scientists who issue warnings to countries. Evacuation alarms will sound.

Warning system

If you see the water receding from the shoreline, move to higher ground immediately!

Tsunami wave