April 2006: Internal Processes and Products = Earthquake Causes and Effects

During the video Killer Quake! from NOVA,  take notes on the causes and effects of earthquakes

Earthquakes Video 2005

 NAME:                                                                         Per:              DATE:

"Civilizations exist by geological consent, subject to change without notice." -  historian Will Durant 

Worksheet for the video: Earthquakes; The Earth Revealed Series

 READ THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS, THEN ANSWER WHILE WATCHING THE VIDEO, THEN COMPARE ANSWERS AFTER THE VIDEO.

1. What is the original source of energy for earthquakes?

2. What is the direct cause of most major earthquakes?

3. What would happen if the uplift that leads to earthquakes were to

   stop?

4. How many earthquakes on how many faults shake California each year?

5. Give two reasons for the almost incomprehensible loss of life and

   damage from major earthquakes in other nations.

6. Earthquakes are _________  _____________ , and are produced when

   rock ____________ and ______________ as two blocks of rock slide

   past each other along a fault.

7. When the energy stored over years of stress is released:

8. What is a fault?

9. How is the location of an earthquake determined from three

   seismographs?

10. What three things can modern seismographs do?

11. The amount of energy released by an earthquake is determined by

    combining a measure of  __________________  recorded on a

    seismograph with the ______________  from the earthquake.

12. The Richter scale measure, or energy released by an earthquake, is

    also known as the _____________________ of the quake.

13. The maximum theoretical limit of energy that could be stored by

    rocks would produce an earthquake of around ________ on the

    Richter scale.

14. The smallest tremors usually felt by people are about ________ on

    the Richter scale, 4.0 would release the energy in __________ tons

    of explosive, and an earthquake of 8.1 would be caused by the

    release of energy equivalent to:

15. Each level on the Richter scale represents about _________ times

    the energy released in the previous step.

16. True or False: Small earthquakes release a lot of the energy

    building up along a fault.

17. About how many earthquakes each year are strong enough to destroy

    human life or property?

18. About how many earthquakes each year are strong enough to cause

    major geological change?

Falling buildings and other structures are what kill or injure most

people in earthquakes.

19. Why do earthquakes destroy some buildings in an area but not

       others?

20.  List the ways that seismologists are studying the Parkfield

     California area so that they can try to predict the next

     earthquake there, and learn from the earthquake when it happens:

21. Reliable earthquake prediction is probably _______________ away,

    and is complicated by:

"Nature has forced us to live with these sudden releases of energy,

 but knowledge gives us the power, and the chance to survive them"

                                     - James Sadd, et al

Other info on earthquake effects:

1. Earthquakes cause landslides, mudslides, and avalanches.

2. Liquifaction occurs as earthquake vibrations pass through wet soil,

   especially if it was filled in.

3. Tsunami are seismic sea waves that can travel at high speeds over

   long distances.

4. Tsunami can reach wave heights of 30 meters as they reach shore,

   causing enormous damage.

5. Earthquakes disrupt water, power, communications and gas lines,

   leading to many secondary problems such as fires, starvation,

   crime, and disease.

6. The amount of damage and shaking by an earthquake, aka intensity,

   is measured using observations on the Mercalli scale.