wunder beta🌍 Earthquakes
Find out why the ground shakes when giant slabs of Earth suddenly slip!
What you’ll learn
- Explain what causes earthquakes, including tectonic plates, faults, and seismic waves.Earthquakes happen when blocks of rock along a fault suddenly slip, releasing stored energy as seismic waves. Earth's tectonic plates move slowly and build up this energy. The quake starts at the focus, with the epicenter on the surface above it.
- Describe how scientists locate and measure earthquakes, and how people can stay safe.Seismologists use seismographs to find the epicenter and measure magnitude on scales like the moment magnitude scale. Big quakes have aftershocks and can cause landslides or tsunamis. The safety rule Drop, Cover, and Hold On helps protect people.
Questions this course answers
What usually causes an earthquake?
Most earthquakes happen when two blocks of rock suddenly slip past each other, releasing stored energy.
What is a fault?
A fault is the crack in the ground where two blocks of rock meet and can slip past each other.
What is the spot on Earth's surface directly above where an earthquake begins called?
The epicenter is the point on the surface right above the focus, where the earthquake starts underground.
What tool do scientists use to record the shaking of an earthquake?
A seismograph records earthquake shaking by drawing wiggly lines that show the strength of seismic waves.
The strength of an earthquake is measured as its...
Magnitude is the number that measures how much energy an earthquake releases, using scales like the moment magnitude scale.
What should you do to stay safe during an earthquake?
Experts teach Drop, Cover, and Hold On: drop down, take cover under sturdy furniture, and hold on until shaking stops.
Grounded in trusted sources
- U.S. Geological Survey, "The Science of Earthquakes" (usgs.gov/programs/earthquake-hazards/science-earthquakes)
- California Academy of Sciences, "Anatomy of an Earthquake" (calacademy.org/explore-science/anatomy-of-an-earthquake)
- Britannica Kids, "Earthquake" (kids.britannica.com/students/article/earthquake/274104)
- Michigan Tech UPSeis, "How Do We Measure Earthquake Magnitude?" (mtu.edu/geo/community/seismology/learn/earthquake-measure/)
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