1. EARTHQUAKE! By: Sara Zielinski and Meg Danis

2. W HY IS THE EARTH SHAKING ? An earthquake is what happens when two blocks of the earth suddenly slip past one another. The surface where they slip is called the fault or fault plane. More than a million earthquakes rattle the world each year.

3. T ERMS TO KNOW Hypocenter- The location below the earth’s surface where the earthquake starts. Epicenter- The location directly above it on the surface of the earth. Seismic waves - The energy created by the quake travels in waves from the epicenter, where they are the strongest. Richter scale - A measurement of an earthquake's intensity. Each one-point increase on the scale indicates ten times the amount of shaking and 33 times the amount of energy. Mainshock- The largest, main earthquake. Aftershocks- Are smaller earthquakes that occur afterwards in the same place as the mainshock. Depending on the size of the mainshock, aftershocks can continue for weeks, months, and even years after the mainshock!

4. W HY THE EARTH QUAKES ? 20 plates along the surface of the earth move continuously and slowly past each other. The plates squeeze, stretch, and move past each other As the plates move forces cause the crust to break When the break occurs, the stress is released as energy, seismic waves, which moves through the Earth Earthquake!

5. H OW ARE EARTHQUAKES MEASURED ? Seismographs- Record earthquakes and their magnitude Richter Scale- Classifies the size of the quake Richter Scale Size of Quake 4Minor Earthquake 5Moderate Earthquake 6Strong Earthquake 7Major Earthquake 8Great Earthquake

6. W HERE DO THEY OCCUR ? In the United States- The West Coast is most at risk of having an earthquake Can happen in the Midwest and along the East Coast.

7. B E C ARFUL : S AFETY T IPS BEFORE AN EARTHQUAKE: Have a disaster plan. Choose a safe place in every room. Be underneath sturdy furniture/protect head Have a earthquake kit During a Quake: Stay indoors until the shaking stops. Stay away from windows. If you’re outdoors, find a clear spot away from buildings, trees and power lines. If you’re in a car, slow down and drive to a safe place. Stay in the car until the shaking stops.

8. R EFERENCES “Earthquakes." Weather Wiz Kids. 2 Dec. 2008. "Earthquakes: Tasty Quake." FEMA For Kids. Federal Emergency Management Agency. 2 Dec. 2008. Prager, Ellen J., Jump into Science: Earthquakes. National Geographic, 2007.