Earthquakes occur when tectonic plates move towards or slide past each other. Normally plates move slowly at around 9 cm per year, but energy builds as they occasionally get stuck. This stored energy is suddenly released in the form of an earthquake when the plates slip. The shaking displaces a large amount of energy into the Earth's crust. This can cause damage to infrastructure like roads, disrupt utilities, and leave people without access to clean water or a way to get to work. Predicting earthquakes allows officials to warn people and take protective measures to reduce hazards, while preparing through drills and design helps minimize earthquake impacts.

1. What happens during an
Earthquake?
Learning Objective: To understand how an earthquake
is created, the impacts they cause and how they can be
managed

2. Conservative/
Transform
Boundary
Destructive/
Convergent
Boundary
Constructive/
Divergent
Boundary
Which one is the odd one out?

3. Conservative/
Transform
Boundary
Destructive/
Convergent
Boundary
Constructive/
Divergent
Boundary
Volcanoes = destructive & constructive
Earthquake = destructive & conservative

4. Type of plate margin Description of
changes
Earthquake/ volcanic
activity
Examples
Destructive (oceanic &
continental)
Oceanic crust is forced
down & melts
Volcanoes produced
by melted oceanic
rock
Earthquakes produced
by rock rising
Nazca & South
American plates
colliding
Destructive (two
continental)
Continental plates
pushed upwards
Fold mountains
Earthquakes produced Indo-Australian
collides with Eurasian
= Himalayas
Constructive on land Plates move apart,
magma moves to
surface
Some volcanic activity,
earthquakes along the
faults
East African Rift Valley
Constructive under
the ocean
Plates move apart Volcanoes occur when
magma reaches the
surface
Mid Atlantic Ridge
Conservative Plates slide past each
other
Earthquakes produced
from friction
San Andreas Fault

5. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12739417
Earthquakes can occur
when plates ______
towards each other, or
______ by _____
Normally these plates
want to move
___________ at about 9
cm per year
But sometimes they get
_______. Now the
energy ______ as the
plates continue to
______
Eventually, they _____.
All the stored _______
gets __________
The result is an
_______________. The
plates literally _______
up, displacing a lot of
energy into the _____
Extension: how do
you think an
earthquake might
cause a tsunami?
v
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/wha
t-causes-earthquakes/14060.html

6. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12739417
Earthquakes can occur
when plates move
towards each other, or
side by side.
Normally these plates
want to move together
at about 9cm per year
But sometimes they get
stuck. Now the energy
builds as the plates
continue to move
Eventually, they slip. All
the stored energy gets
released
The result is an
earthquake. The plates
literally flick up,
displacing a lot of energy
into the crust
Extension: how do
you think an
earthquake might
cause a tsunami?
v

7. So why did Japan experience the huge tsunami this year?

8. Using the
diagram,
write clear
definitions for
‘epicentre’
and ‘focus’
Focus – the point within the earth’s crust where an earthquake
occurs
Epicentre – the point on the earth’s surface directly above the focus
where an earthquake occurs

9. Which house,
1 or 2, would
experience
the larger
effects from
the
earthquake?
Why?
2
1

10. What would
happen if the
focus was at
the red cross
instead?

11. saturated
groundwater
shaking
upwards
surface
sludge
The effect of liquefaction in New Zealand in February 2011 earthquake
What do you think the
secondary effects of
liquefaction are?

13. Explain why Kobe
was particularly
suceptible to the
effects of
liquefaction in 1995

14. LO: To understand the three main
ways to limit the damage from
earthquakes
How do you reduce the damage
from Earthquakes?

15. Key Themes Exam 50%
• Weds 12th June
• 29 days away
• 15 hours of teaching time
• HOWEVER…. Still got to complete 2 case studies
for earthquakes, hurricanes, drought and then 2
hurricane case studies.
• EVERY LESSON IS COMPULSORY
• YOU SHOULD BE REVISING – RIVERS AND COASTS
AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
SDME resit meeting
in here tomorrow
lunchtime for 5
minutes

16. Complete secondary effects
• Add them to your table.
• Come up with 5 and you get a point for every
one you match with my list.
• Try linking them with your primary effects.

17. 4-marker questions – explain
When a 4-marker asks you to explain, you
need to make 2 descriptive points and
explain them.
Example...
Explain why some Year 11
students at Carterton CC might choose to go
into Sixth Form. (4 marks)

18. Your turn….
• Explain how humans are affected by
earthquakes (4marks).
make 2 descriptive points and explain them.
How many marks?
Roads get damaged and people cannot get to work.
Roads get damaged and people cannot get around, meaning that their
business might lose money until the roads are repaired.
As water pipes burst, people cannot get fresh drinking water, so they
have to buy bottled water, which might be expensive or run out.
Roads get damaged and people can’t go to work and they have no clean
drinking water because pipes burst.

19. Predict –
Use technology to warn people a hazard is
coming
Protect –
Put measures in place to reduce the threat of a
hazard
Prepare –
Get ready for the arrival of a hazard
Definitions...

20. Quick Definitions
• Predict – say when a hazard is coming
• Protect – put protection in place
• Prepare – get ready
Extension: can you think of an example of each
of these for earthquake hazards?

21. Predict, Prepare or Protect?
Making sure people are
ready for when an
earthquake hits e.g.
Earthquake drills
Designing
earthquake
proof
buildings
Monitoring ground
movements to see when
an earthquake might hit
Extension: which one do you think is the best idea for a city
that often gets earthquakes? Why?
PREPARE PROTECT
PREDICT

22. Earthquake definition
“A sudden and violent shaking of the ground,
sometimes causing great destruction, as a
result of movements within the earth's crust or
volcanic action.”
How would you go about predicting an
earthquake?

23. Earthquake Prediction Attempts

24. Knowing when the quake will arrive keeps
getting easier in Japan. Official earthquake
warnings that pop up in a window on your
computer screen is the latest alert
method. Already earthquake warnings are
broadcast on TV. Cable TV providers and
telecoms offer official earthquake warning
emails to cellphones and computers. A
cable TV company sells an earthquake
warning receiver. A digital cordless phone
knows a tremor is on the way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24KfBwkMw_M

25. Japan: an earthquake-proof country?

26. Watch the clip about earthquake proof buildings in Japan
What have they added to the hotel to make it earthquake proof?
What have these architects added to the Akashi Kaikyō suspension
bridge in Japan?
How did it change during the earthquake??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpCjGiQqj
RM

27. Earthquake proof
buildings (retrofitting)
• What parts of the
building do you think
make it aseismic
(posh word for
earthquake proof!)
• Make a sketch of the
building and label on
the parts
• Page 146

28. Homework: Due next Friday
• Write a short paragraph to answer the
question:
“Is Japan ready for the next big quake?”
• Use your own research
• Think about the 3 Ps!