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Earthquakes

© Zany

A 6.8-magnitude earthquake rattled Washington State Wednesday, Feb 28, 2001. This earthquake was very powerful but its force was lessened owing to the fact it occurred in a fault 33 miles underground. There is no doubt that earthquakes are terrifying if you are caught in one. Depending on the magnitude, they can cause a great deal of damage and lost of life. Luckily for us we can investigate earthquakes safely from our computers.

Understanding Earthquakes ,part of the Institute for Crustal Studies University of California web site, is an intriguing site. Take the quiz, just for fun. The questions aren't hard and the answers are given. But what is really interesting about this site are the earthquake accounts written by Charles Darwin, Jack London, Mark Twain and John Muir. It also has links to other sites about quakes that you might like to check out.

If one is looking for a good, readable introduction into earthquakes, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) web site is a good choice. It introduces and defines terms associated with earthquakes, such as focus and epicenter. Since the site is just a basic introduction, it doesn't get to heavily into plate tectonics, but the illustration of the three plate boundary types-spreading zones, transform faults, and subduction zones, is worth a peek. Want to know how many plates there are, their names, or what plate you live on? Check out the dandy map of the tectonic plates.

Now on to Earthquakes! part of "The Why Files" site. It starts off with a look at the earthquake in Turkey in 1999. The explanation and history of plate tectonics or continental drift, is very readable. You won't have to have a Ph.D. in physics to understand it. Great! The subject of predicting earthquakes is also ventured into. So far scientists have been unable to predict when an earthquake will occur. The information obtained from studying earthquakes though is being used to educate the public and build better earthquake proof buildings.

I love the site virtual Earthquake . It is an interactive site that allows you to play seismologist-someone who studies earthquakes and their phenomenon. As a seismologist you will locate the epicenter of the quake and determine it's magnitude on the Richter scale. All concepts are explained. First, you are taught to read a seismogram-recording of earthquake waves. Then you pick an earthquake and determine its epicenter by reading the seismogram. Next you are shown how to use the seismogram to measure the maximum amplitude of the S-wave and using Richter's nomogram, determine the magnitude of the earthquake. Granted, the examples are simplified but it gives you the basic idea. You are awarded a Virtual Seismologist certificate of completion. I hope you enjoy this site as much as I did.