12-19 Lesson 1: Observing Earthquake Locations

Observing Earthquake Locations

Objective: I can make observations, ask questions, and develop an initial model explaining the location of earthquakes around the world.

Have you ever seen a video of or experienced an earthquake? Without warning, the ground begins to shake! If the earthquake is large, buildings and other structures, like bridges, may even get damaged from the ground moving in what feels like a back-and-forth motion.

But why did this earthquake happen?

What Do You Already Know About Earthquakes?

Home

Open in new tab

Copy link

Open Ended

• Write down your observations (2) about the phenomenon.

• Write down what questions (2) you have.

Developing an understanding of where earthquakes are located will require thinking about the changes that are occurring over time. The locations of earthquakes are stable and do not change over long periods of time. However, sudden changes in size and depth of earthquakes do occur at these locations.

Science Themes: Using Stability and Change to Think About Earthquake Locations

Categorize

Options (5)

West coast of North America

West coast of North America

West coast of North America

Middle of Indian Ocean

West coast of South America

East coast of Asia (Japan)

Islands north of Australia

When an earthquake hits a location, changes are made to the lithosphere or top layer of the earth. Sometimes the changes are deep within the lithosphere, and sometimes the changes are shallow and close to the surface. Watch the video again and list the depth of earthquakes that appear in each location found in the table as either shallow, deep, or a mixture of shallow and deep.

shallow

shallow and deep

Draw

Draw an initial Model and write a statement Describing the Model that explains why earthquakes take place where they do.

Compare and contrast your model with another student’s model.

Make any changes needed before submitting.