Locating Earthquake Epicenters

Topic:
Earth Science

Type of Web activity:
Using data from the Web

Materials / Software needed:
Web browser.

Poster-sized map of world.

Grade Level:
5-12

Time involved:

Several Weeks to Several Months

Created on:
July 26, 1996

The Web Science Workshop lessons were created in cooperation with the Exploratorium Teacher Institute .

This site developed and maintained by Deborah Hunt and Eric Muller .

3601 Lyon St.
San Francisco, CA 94123

©2000 The Exploratorium

Classroom version:
1) Buy a map of the world and a box of push pins.
2) Go to the United States Geological Survey's earthquake page .
3) Stick a tack in the map where an earthquake has occurred.
4) Return to the USGS earthquake page every week and stick new pins in the map. Repeat this until a distinct pattern begins to appear.
5) Optional:

• Use different colored pins for different earthquake magnitudes.
• Use different colored pins to represent earthquake depth (0-100 km, 100-200 km, 200-300 km, >300km). The pattern of colors will eventually show where there are subduction zones.

Individual lessons:
1) Print the map below.
2) Mark latitude and longitude coordinates on this map.
3) Go to the United States Geological Survey's earthquake page .
4) Make a mark on your map whereever an earthquake has occured.
5) Repeat this every week until a distinct pattern begins to appear.
6) Optional:

• Use different colored pins for different earthquake magnitudes.
• Use different colored pins to represent earthquake depth (0-100 km, 100-200 km, 200-300 km, >300km). The pattern of colors will eventually show where there are subduction zones.

For more information:

• To see what your map will eventually look like, click here.
  
• For more information on maps, click here .
  
• To find out why earthquakes happen in certain locations, click here .
  
• For even more information on earthquakes, click here.