Overview:
This page is useful as an introduction or a review for middle school earthquake studies. This version is more teacher useful as it is quite dry. Included are links to a number of useful or informative sites for students and sites with curriculum or resources of interest for teachers. This page is in the development phase; it is far from complete. I welcome comments or resources to include.

California Moves !

Earthquakes are not spread evenly over the world. Certain areas are subject to earthquakes because of their structure and/or location. Worldwide , earthquakes happen every few minutes. To see today's "Earthquake of the Day" press here . In the United States, significant earthquakes havZE="+1"> California Moves !

Earthquakes are not spread evenly over the world. Certain areas are subject to earthquakes because of their structure and/or location. Worldwide , earthquakes happen every few minutes. To see today's "Earthquake of the Day" press here . In the United States, significant earthquakes have happened in Missouri, California and Alaska as well as in other areas. There are numerous earthquakes in California each day; your community may have experienced one today.

San Francisco, 1906

There are various ways of indicating how severe earthquakes have been or are predicted to be. You can see how your Bay Area neighborhood shook in the 1989 Loma Prieta 'quake or in the 1906 San Francisco 'quake. There are different ways of measuring the power of an earthquake. The most common references we see are measures of the magnitude of an earthquake which is indicated in the Richter scale. The modified Mercalli Scale indicates the effects of earthquakes. These two ways of indicating the power of an earthquake can be compared . Records of earthquakes are made on seismographs. These traces show the shock waves as they reach a recording station.

Waves away...

Shock waves are the energy traveling from the site of the earthquake. There are P waves and S waves; they are different in the nature of the wave and the effects on the materials they pass through.

There have been many efforts to figure out when and where the next earthquake will be. Scientists have been using the newest information and tools to predict the next 'quake in the San Francisco Bay area. A panel of scientists who worked on this problem believe that there is a 67% chance that a major earthquake will happen in the San Francisco Bay Area in the next 30 years.

'Quake Preparations

Although it may be alarming to live in 'quake country, there are many things that can make us safer in an earthquake. Buildings can be strengthened, plans can be made and supplies can be stockpiled.

For Seismologists-in-Training only :

Check out the quiz to test your 'Quake Quotient. You may be a savvy earthquake survivor or you may find information you need to know.

Teachers : Check out my Cool 'Quake Sites page.