Day 2-3: Background Research & Presentation Prep
Students are grouped by their area of interest in Earthquake studies. They are:
1. Geological Studies (How does it work - & when will it most likely happen)
This group focuses on the question -
Basic sources:
Basic Resources:
3. Wasatch Fault:
Basic Resources:
3. Structural Engineering (How to minimize the damage)
Basic Resources:
Emergency Preparedness (How to prepare for the big one when it hits).
This area of study looks into the how to prepare the people for such an event for when it occurs, and how to handle the crises for when it does.
Students are grouped by their area of interest in Earthquake studies. They are:
- Geological Studies & Plate Tectonics (How does it work & when will it most likely happen again)
- Geological Hazards associated with an Earthquake (What areas will get affected and what to expect when the big one hits)
- Wasatch Fault
- Emergency Preparedness
- Structural Engineering
1. Geological Studies (How does it work - & when will it most likely happen)
- A look into the dynamics behind the earthquake - how is it generated? What causes the earthquake? How big was it and how long did it last? How much energy was released during the event? This and many more questions.
This group focuses on the question -
- What causes earthquakes around the world,
- Where are the earthquakes located around the world - and why is this the case
- Discuss plate tectonics
Basic sources:
- PBS.org
- Video: Dr. Ross Stein explains some basics behind earthquakes and the problems with predicting them
- Video: Dr. Ross Stein explains the basics of earthquakes and how stress along the fault overcomes the frictional resistance along the fault
- A study of which areas will be most affected by the next big earthquake and how it will affect the area.
Basic Resources:
- UGS - Geologic Hazards
- Ground Shaking for Salt Lake County
3. Wasatch Fault:
- Where is the fault located
- What will happen when the big one hits
- Any other tidbits of information that might help inform us
Basic Resources:
- Department of Natural Resources (Utah Geology)
- Utah Geologic Survey
- The Wasatch Fault (UGS)
- KSL Video on the Wasatch Fault
3. Structural Engineering (How to minimize the damage)
- A look into how to build buildings and infrastructure to minimize this major event.
Basic Resources:
- The worlds largest shake table video (short) (long)
- Some basics on seismic retrofitting
- Dr. Ross Stein explaining why certain buildings fail (USGS)
- Video: Building tests done in China
- Video: In Japan, a building under a test that fails
- Video: A Japanese home equipped with a "Base Isolating System"
- Video: An animation explaining "Base Isolating Systems"
- Video: Japan takes on future earthquakes with other types of base isolating systems
- Video: Another type of base isolating technology - with linear functionality
Emergency Preparedness (How to prepare for the big one when it hits).
This area of study looks into the how to prepare the people for such an event for when it occurs, and how to handle the crises for when it does.
- How do you prepare of it before it happens
- What to do when it does happen
- What to do after it happens, and at what level - (family size to city size)
Day 4: Presentations:
Groups presented their findings to the rest of the class. Use the button below to download the answer sheet that was used for each of the presentations. If you were absent, use the links I've provided above to answer the questions and turn it in.
Groups presented their findings to the rest of the class. Use the button below to download the answer sheet that was used for each of the presentations. If you were absent, use the links I've provided above to answer the questions and turn it in.
Day 5: Continuation with the reports
On this day, I will discuss what the pro's know and how they explain the natural and geologic phenomena around the world using the theory of plate tectonics.
Basically, the theory of plate tectonics is based on the idea that the crust of the earth is sitting on top of a floating mantle of magma. Earthquakes, volcanoes, mountains, trenches and mid ocean ridges are created because of the movement of the broken up crust - also known as tectonic plates. These features are created because of the earths internal heat energy found in the core (through radioactive decay) which then creates convection currents throughout the mantle. The oceanic crust is an extension of the mantle - but in a more solid state. The continental crusts are similar to the scum found from processing iron and are less dense to the liquid iron below.
The liquid rock - aka the mantle - get's its heat from the core at the center of the earth through nuclear decay. That heat is then transferred through the mantle through convection. At the top of the convection cell, the liquid rock cools down to a solid state before coming back down towards the core. Along with it, it moves the crust above. Anytime the crust moves, it rubs against an adjacent piece of crust (aka - tectonic plate). That rubbing snaps and vibrates. This snap and vibration is what we commonly call an earthquake.
Sometimes pieces of crust collide towards each other. This causes the frontal parts of the colliding plates to buckle - this forms mountainous terrains - depending on what types of crust (oceanic or continental) are colliding together.
If it's continental to continental collisions - we get earthquakes and mountains. (i.e. Himalaya's)
If it's oceanic to continental collisions - we get trenches, volcanoes, mountains and earthquakes. (i.e. South America)
If it's oceanic to oceanic collisions - we get trenches, volcanoes and earthquakes - called island arcs (i.e. Japan, Aleutian Islands in Alaska etc.)
On this day, I will discuss what the pro's know and how they explain the natural and geologic phenomena around the world using the theory of plate tectonics.
Basically, the theory of plate tectonics is based on the idea that the crust of the earth is sitting on top of a floating mantle of magma. Earthquakes, volcanoes, mountains, trenches and mid ocean ridges are created because of the movement of the broken up crust - also known as tectonic plates. These features are created because of the earths internal heat energy found in the core (through radioactive decay) which then creates convection currents throughout the mantle. The oceanic crust is an extension of the mantle - but in a more solid state. The continental crusts are similar to the scum found from processing iron and are less dense to the liquid iron below.
The liquid rock - aka the mantle - get's its heat from the core at the center of the earth through nuclear decay. That heat is then transferred through the mantle through convection. At the top of the convection cell, the liquid rock cools down to a solid state before coming back down towards the core. Along with it, it moves the crust above. Anytime the crust moves, it rubs against an adjacent piece of crust (aka - tectonic plate). That rubbing snaps and vibrates. This snap and vibration is what we commonly call an earthquake.
Sometimes pieces of crust collide towards each other. This causes the frontal parts of the colliding plates to buckle - this forms mountainous terrains - depending on what types of crust (oceanic or continental) are colliding together.
If it's continental to continental collisions - we get earthquakes and mountains. (i.e. Himalaya's)
If it's oceanic to continental collisions - we get trenches, volcanoes, mountains and earthquakes. (i.e. South America)
If it's oceanic to oceanic collisions - we get trenches, volcanoes and earthquakes - called island arcs (i.e. Japan, Aleutian Islands in Alaska etc.)