Earthquakes and Tsunamis Resources

Japan Earthquake:  Basic facts, web resources on earthquakes and tsunamis

 

Below are links for websites that teachers and parents can use to educate themselves and young people:

• The Washington Post up-to-date coverage:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/11/AR2011031100293.html?hpid=topnews 
• The U.S. Geological Survey has great information for all ages:  http://www.usgs.gov/ 
• The USGS site also has this great site for kids with all kinds of fun facts about earthquakes:  http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/
• FEMA for kids has a site set up for with information on Tsunamis:  http://www.fema.gov/kids/tsunami.htm
• To learn more about Plate Tectonics:  http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/planets/earth/Continents.shtml 
• Here is a PBS site for kids on Plate Tectonic Theory:  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/tectonics/intro.html 

 

In January 2010 a powerful earthquake struck Haiti; it measured 7.0 on the Richter scale, one way that scientists measure quakes, and left more than 200,000 people dead. A Chilean earthquake a month later rated as an 8.8 on the Richter scale. Today's in Japan was measured at 8.9.

What do those rankings really mean? To understand how earthquakes are rated, go to this Scholastic Web site. There you will learn about how the measuring scale for earthquakes works. Here are some comparisons, according to Scholastic:

9.0 — Causes complete devastation and large-scale loss of life.
8.0 — Very few buildings stay up. Bridges fall down. Underground pipes burst. Railroad rails bend. Large rocks move. Smaller objects are tossed into the air. Some objects are swallowed up by the earth.
7.0 — It is hard to keep your balance. The ground cracks. Roads shake. Weak buildings fall down. Other buildings are badly damaged.
6.0 — Pictures can fall off walls. Furniture moves. In some buildings, walls may crack.
5.0 — If you are in a car, it may rock. Glasses and dishes may rattle. Windows may break.

 

Here is my big question of the day:  If there is a big earthquake that hits one side of the world, can it trigger to ignite another side of the world?  I found my answer here:  http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/05/0505_050505_tvearthquakes.html