2. Earthquakes Significant
Last Year Earthquake
s
Top Ten Earthquake Hit List
3. This area is on my
Top Ten Earthquake
Hit List because it is
on one of the biggest
faults in the world.
The San Andreas
fault causes many
earthquakes to occur.
This fault is one of
the most active in the
world.
10. Western America
4. This area is on my Top
Ten Earthquake Hit List
because it lies right on
the Caribbean-Atlantic-
South American-North
American-Pacific plate
boundaries. Places such
of Haiti and been greatly
affected by this. It was
rocked with a gigantic
earthquake that killed
millions of people. I think
that the are definitely
susceptible to another one
somewhere in the future.
9. Latin America
5. This area is on my
Top Ten Earthquake
Hit List because it has
had major
earthquakes in the
past. The 1964
earthquake of Alaska
majorly affected
south-central Alaska.
This area is also on
the Ring of Fire.
8. Alaska
6. This area is on my
Top Ten Earthquake
Hit List because this
area lies on the
Eurasian-African
boundary. The
boundary is known to
grind against each
other. Many
earthquakes here
have terrorized
people and have cost
millions of dollars of
property damage.
7. South-East Asia/Europe
7. This area is on my
Top Ten Earthquake
Hit List because
China is prone to
earthquakes. Some
of the earliest
earthquakes have
been recorded there.
They have destroyed
some of the ancient
great relics of the
land.
6. China
8. This area is on my
Top Ten Earthquake
Hit List because this
area is on a
convergent boundary
that it shares with
the pacific plate.
Many tsunamis have
came from
earthquakes in the
ocean. Some islands
have formed these
plates colliding.
5. Oceana
9. This area is on my
Top Ten Earthquake
Hit List because this
area has a gigantic
rift going through
the boundary. The
surrounding land
masses have been
devastated by
tsunamis.
4. East China Sea
10. This area is on my
Top Ten Earthquake
Hit List because this
area is covered with
earthquakes. The
recent earthquake in
Japan has occurred
by result of the plates
colliding. These have
caused millions of
dollars in big cities
such as Tokyo.
3. Japan
11. This area is on my
Top Ten Earthquake
Hit List because this
place is littered with
earthquakes. There
have been many
earthquakes in the
last year which leads
me to believe that
there could be
another big one
coming.
2. Indonesia
12. I think this area is on
the Top Ten
Earthquake Hit List
because the Nazca
plate has been
putting a lot of
pressure on the
South American
plate. Places like
Chile have been
greatly affected by
these colossal
earthquakes.
1. South America
13. First List Modified List
10. Western America 10. Oceana
9. Latin America 9. South America
8. Alaska 8. East China Sea
7. South-East Asia/Europe 7. Alaska
6. China 6. South-East Asia/Europe
5. Oceana 5. Japan
4. East China Sea 4. Indonesia
3. Japan 3. East China Sea
2. Indonesia 2. Latin America
1. South America 1. North America
Modified Top Ten Earthquake Hit List
14. I think this boundary
on the Eurasian-
North American plate
is over due because
this boundary is a
convergent boundary
and hasn't had many
earthquakes. I think
a mass of energy has
been building up and
a huge earthquake
will happen.
Places That Are Over Due
15. inSAR: Satellite radar takes
images of tectonic areas and
combined to detect changes
in ground.
Infrared (IR) radiation: This
tool is used to detect surface
temperature. Ground
temperatures in some
regions can be around -15o
C. Before quakes, sensors
can detected temperature
changes as most as 6o to 9o.
Some scientists put rocks
under extreme pressure and
measure the infrared
radiation from the rock as
shown in the picture.
What new tools or techniques are
seismologists using to help them
better predict earthquakes?
16. What have you learned about earthquakes
and earthquake prediction?
o I have learned that it is very difficult to predict
earthquakes because they occur at random
times. I have also learned that scientists are
trying to come up with ways to predict them so
they can protect people. What I find is
interesting is that earthquakes can happen
miles beneath the crust and barely move an
inch, yet cause so much damage that it is
indescribable.
What factors influence earthquake
prediction?
o Factors that influence earthquake predictions
are the location of the epicenter, the time and
magnitude of the earthquake. Also, if there
were foreshocks and if there were aftershocks.
Where on Earth do most of the really big
earthquakes strike?
o Most really big earthquakes strike nearby plate
boundary lines. This is because they are more
susceptible to movement in the crust which
cause earthquakes. It is very rare for a major
earthquake to occur on a plate, but they can
still happen. The closer they are to the
boundary, the more damaging the earthquake
will be.
As you can see, most of the
earthquakes in the U.S. are
near the North American-
Pacific plate boundary.
Questions
17. What do you notice about the distribution of these
earthquakes?
o The distribution of earthquakes correlates with the tectonic
plates boundaries. Also, it correlates with being on the land
or near the land.
How does the distribution of these earthquakes
compare to the others?
o Earthquakes tend to be located in places where tectonic
plates are convergent, instead of diverging.
What type of plate boundary is associated with
earthquakes that have a magnitude of 7.0 or greater?
o The plate boundary that is associated with earthquakes that
have a magnitude of 7.0 or greater are plate boundaries
that are convergent boundaries.
More Questions
18. Based on my results of my
analyses and the research I
have conducted, the one
place from my Top Ten
Earthquake Hit List that I
predicted will be the most
likely place on Earth to
experience the next
earthquake is somewhere
along the Pacific-
North/South American plate
boundaries.
I think this because there
are many earthquakes that
have happened last year. I
think they could be a sign
that they are foreshocks and
a huge earthquake is
coming.
Predictions
