It is a violent shaking of the earth’s crust caused by the movement of
landmasses along faults and/or subduction zones.
Here is the worldwide distribution of earthquakes:
Many earthquakes occur around the edge of the Pacific ocean, also known
as the Ring of Fire, because this is the boundary where
many plates interact and generate earthquakes and volcanic
activity. Another belt of earthquakes exists in the centers of
the ocean basins at the mid-ocean ridges. This distribution
of earthquake epicenters shows where the plate boundaries exist and are
currently active areas.
How are earthquakes recorded?
The following clip is a demonstration of how earthquakes occur and they are recorded. Using the following worksheet, earthquake video worksheet,
answer the questions using the information from the video. After the
video, have a class discussion on the notes as the lesson will
reiterate the concepts of the video.
