MadSci Network: Earth Sciences
Query:

Re: how can you dispay an earthkuake model for kids in of the ages of 8-11?

Date: Mon Jun 4 11:24:45 2001
Posted By: Jennifer Anderson, Grad student, Geological Sciences, Brown University
Area of science: Earth Sciences
ID: 990480802.Es
Message:

Modeling Earthquakes

A nice and simple way to model earthquakes for a group of middle school 
students would be to build a little town model with a strike-slip fault 
running through the center of town.  A strike-slip fault is the type of 
crack in the Earth’s crust that allows pieces of land to slide past one 
another, from side to side.  For example, pretend that you are standing on 
one side of a strike-slip fault and your friend stood facing you on the 
opposite side.  If an earthquake occurred, you would see your friend move to 
your left or right.  And your friend would see you move either left or 
right.  This is the type of fault that causes earthquakes in California (the 
San Andreas Fault).  Another way to imagine this type of fault is to put 
your hands together, with your thumbs touching and your palms facing 
downward so that you are looking at the back of both of your hands.  Now, 
move your right hand forward and notice that your thumbs are no longer next 
to each other.  The line between your two thumbs is a strike-slip fault.

If you have two pieces of cardboard (or something similar), place them next 
to each other, but don’t glue them together.  Then build a town on top of 
the two pieces of cardboard.  I would recommend that you don’t glue the 
pieces of your town down.  That way, when the earthquake happens, you can 
set it back up again for more earthquakes.  In your town, you could include 
a few houses and a little shopping area, a park, a school, whatever you’d 
like.  I would recommend putting a fence that runs across your fault 
(between the two pieces of cardboard) and maybe some people talking to each 
other from across the fault line.  Then, when you are ready for the 
earthquake to happen, simply push one piece of cardboard forward quickly a 
few inches.  See what happens to your town!  The most noticeable things 
should include the fence no longer being straight and the people having 
moved apart from each other.  If you build the town correctly, you could get 
buildings to collapse when the earthquake happens.  There is room for a lot 
of creativity here.

Another way of creating the effects of an earthquake beneath your town is by 
making a "shake table".  The United States Geological Society (USGS) has 
some good information on how to build one.  Then put your town on top of it 
and watch the earthquake go!  
See:  http://mceer.buffalo.edu/education/exercises/shtable.asp

Also check out this USGS web page for more ideas:    http://earthquake.usgs.gov/4kids/



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