This resource explores earthquakes and seismic hazards, using the San Francisco area as an example. Materials include histories of San Francisco's earthquakes, including the 1906 'Great Earthquake' and the 1989 Loma Prieta quake. A section on quake basics addresses the relationship between earthquakes and plate tectonics, fault movements, seismic waves, and how earthquakes are measured. For educators, ... Full description.

The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) is an agency of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Weather Service. Materials available on the website include current weather watches, mesoscale discussions, convective outlooks, six-hour thunderstorm outlooks, and fire weather forecasts; research publications, experimental products and techniques; weather information including watch/warning ... Full description.

This site provides answers to frequently asked questions about tornadoes. The questions are grouped into the following categories: the basics about tornadoes, tornado forecasting, tornado damage, tornado safety, historical tornadoes, tornado climatology, spotting and chasing, tornado research, and scientific references. Information on related concepts is linked within each section and can also be ... Full description.

This volcanoes site provides information about volcanoes as well as a classroom activity. There are video clips which show some of the features discussed, such as types of lava and eruptive styles. Topics covered by the text include how rocks melt, where and why volcanoes occur (plate tectonics), hot spots, volcanic hazards, forecasting eruptions and coping with risk. The classroom exercise involves ... Full description.

This site provides access to weather and climate imagery, including unique visuals of atmospheric and solar phenomena, pollution, clouds, research instruments, field projects, landscapes, and educational settings. It also contains links to other digital image sites and a place to store personally selected images for later viewing. Full description.

This activity has students research a list of volcanoes and then write detailed information they researched under a column that identifies that type of volcano - Cinder Cone, Composite, or Shield. Included are a worksheet and a collection of links to referential websites about specific volcanoes. Full description.

This site provides general information about floods and dams. There are sections on the science, the phenomenon, and effects of floods. One video clip shows the Mississippi River at flood and non-flood levels. Another clip shows actual footage of a flood wreaking havoc on a populated area. Full description.

These interactive simulations allow students to investigate four of nature's more violent phenomena: volcanoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, and tornadoes. Each simulation begins with a brief written tutorial describing the characteristics and destructive potential of these hazards. Users may then adjust the various factors affecting the occurrence of these phenomena (for instance, ocean temperature, ... Full description.

This tutorial provides general information on soil liquefaction, a hazard associated with earthquakes, for interested lay persons, and more detailed information for engineers. Topics include what soil liquefaction is, and when, where, and why it occurs. There are also suggestions for minimizing the risk of soil liquefaction, links to sites on soil liquefaction research, and links to sites on related ... Full description.

This provides many links to articles, graphics, scientific papers and podcasts to help students understand how scientists determine probabilities for earthquake occurrences. Topics include the locations of faults and how much they need to move in order to release the strain that accumulates; the study of past earthquakes on each fault to predict the size of possible earthquakes that could occur in ... Full description.