Earthquake Activity Using Real-Time
Data
1/20/10
Click on the following links and use the information on that webpage to answer the questions that follow.
Worldwide Earthquake Activity in the Last Seven Days
Go to http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_all.php
Scroll through the list of the most recent earthquakes.
Today's date: _________________
Magnitude is a measure of earthquake size. Each number on the Richter Scale indicates an increase in the amount of shaking by 10x.
1. Where was the most recent earthquake? _________ when? (EST)______
2. What was the magnitude of the most recent earthquake? ________________
3. Look through the data and observe the number of earthquakes of magnitude between 2 and 5.
(Circle the correct answer) Few Some or Most of the earthquakes are between magnitude 2 and 5.
4. What is the highest magnitude number you see on this page? ________ What is the location? ________________
5. Where have the most earthquakes occurred today? ___________________
6. Scroll down to January 13. Count how many aftershocks occurred in Haiti that day. _________________
GO TO: http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/qed/
7. What do you notice about the earthquakes that occurred in Haiti
on January 12?____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
GO TO: World Map of Recent Earthquake Activity - Animation
Go to http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsanim/world.php
Click on Start Animation and notice where the most earthquakes are occurring.
8. How many earthquakes have occurred in the past seven days? _________
9. Name three countries or geographic areas that look like they have had the most earthquake activity in the past week.
_______________________ ____________________ _________________
Significant Worldwide Earthquakes in 2004
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/eqinthenews/2004/
• Based on the data on this page, what is highest magnitude earthquake in 2004? _____________
• Where was that earthquake? _________________ Date it occurred: ______
• Click on the link for that date and read the "Summary" tab. What catastrophic event occurred as a result of that earthquake? ______________________
Recent Earthquake Activity in the USA
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/
Study the map and the use the key on this page.
• Use the key to estimate how many earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 5 have occurred in the past 7 days in the US. ? (you can click on the map to zoom in) __________
• Use the key to estimate how many earthquakes have occurred in the last hour ? ___________
Go to http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/world/historical.php
15. Write down three interesting facts you learned from this page or from links on this page.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
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Your Conclusion
1. Do the earthquakes occur across the earth's surface or only in isolated regions? _____________________________________________
LOOK AT: Tectonic Plate Map (in binder) and http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/qed/
and answer the following.
2. a) What is the correlation between the location of earthquakes and the location of tectonic plates?
b) Support your answer with at least one example from the online data.
c) Where do most earthquakes occur?
Tell me something from this website that surprised you.
________________________________________________________________
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Tell me something from this website that you are still curious about.
________________________________________________________________
Extra Time?
Explore the USGS Earthquake website more http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/ and try to find the answer to what you were still curious about.
Or
Explore Earth's Active Volcanoes
http://www.geo.mtu.edu/volcanoes/world.html
© J. Rodrigues 2010
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