The sudden movement of the Pacific tectonic plate under the North American plate caused a massive earthquake and a tsunami in Japan in 2011. This resource provides interactive maps illustrating the shifting plates and rising water, the shaking magnitude and subsequent tsunami wave heights. Additional interactive maps reflecting aftershocks, infrastructure impact and radiation levels throughout the ... Full description.

In this lesson, students explore the causes of earthquakes and their impact on the geology of an area and on human societies. They begin by looking at the role tectonic plates play in creating the forces that cause earthquakes, to help them understand why earthquakes occur when and where they do. Hands-on activities illustrate how rocks can withstand a certain amount of stress, but that every material ... Full description.

This map displays earthquake probabilities for several faults in the San Francisco Bay Area. The probability values are for the occurrence of one or more major (magnitude greater than or equal to 6.7) earthquakes in the San Francisco Bay Region during the next thirty years. Each fault on the map is color-coded to indicate the relative probability, and numerical values are displayed in boxes. The site ... Full description.

This map shows Earth's tectonic features, volcanoes, earthquakes, and impact craters. Smaller inset maps are included to depict the North and South Poles. The back of the map provides additional information, highlighting examples of fundamental processes; and providing text, timelines, references, and other resources to enhance understanding. The main and polar maps feature online interactive versions. ... Full description.

This page describes how quickly an earthquake-triggered lahar happened and the losses that occurred. Some losses may have occurred because people did not know they should flee to high ground after an earthquake. Within minutes of the 1994 magnitude 6.4 earthquake beneath the south-southwest flank of Nevado del Huila volcano in Colombia, dozens of landslides swept down from the steep valleys above ... Full description.

This earthquake unit was designed to be used with a college course in physical geography. From this module, students learn the location of areas in the United States with the greatest potential for earthquake shaking and the hazards presented by earthquakes. They also learn how geological conditions and building construction affect the amount of destruction during an earthquake. Seismographs and the ... Full description.

This USGS portal offers information about the origin, frequency, and distribution of natural geologic hazards and catastrophic events, and the resulting impacts on people, property, and the environment. Featured sites provide user-friendly information and graphics about earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, El Nino, hurricanes, and erosion studies. Information is available about both general topics and ... Full description.

This collection of video clips from the Caltech Woodframe Project shows what happens to a wood-frame house when it is shaken in the laboratory under conditions resembling those of an earthquake. There are both interior and exterior views, and also tests with furnishings in the house. The videos are available in two formats. There are also links to a description of the project, objectives of the testing, ... Full description.

This is a lesson designed for 7-12th (adaptable for 4-6) grade students. It focuses on earthquakes in the Utah region, but can be adapted to use anywhere. Forty-eight Intermountain West earthquakes that have occurred since 1876 have been researched by Earthquake Education Services (EES). Newspaper articles, individual accounts (diary entries, interviews, letters, etc.), and photographs have been collected. ... Full description.

Event-Based Science is a new way to teach science by using newsworthy events to establish the relevance of science topics. Interviews, photographs, web pages, and inquiry-based science activities create a desire to know more about these topics. This collection of activities deals with such topics as damage to agriculture caused by drought, the recovery of forests after a fire, and flooding and the ... Full description.