Lab Activity Outline
Part 1: Plate Boundaries
Goal: Understand the different plate boundaries and what type of movement occurs at each of these boundaries, including at which boundaries earthquakes occur at.
Complete the “scavenger hunt” sheet from the information provided in a few locations around the school.
Part 2: Understanding Seismology and Seismic Waves
(use a laptop/computer to help you with the next portions of the lab)
Introduction to Seismic Waves: https://www.sciencecourseware.org/VirtualEarthquake/VQuakeExecute.html
Review notes and information on P-waves and S-waves. Explain how these waves travel through the earth and are detected by seismographs.
Discuss the differences in speed, motion, and the materials these waves can travel through.
2. Explore the Virtual Earthquake Lab: https://ds.iris.edu/seismon/swaves/
Students access the IRIS Virtual Earthquake Lab.
The simulator guides students through an earthquake scenario where they measure the time lag between P-waves and S-waves to determine the earthquake’s epicenter.
3. Recording Seismic Data:
4. Reflection Questions:
What is the difference in travel time between P-waves and S-waves? Why does this difference increase with distance?
How accurate was your epicenter prediction, and what challenges did you face in measuring it?
Part 3: Earthquake Magnitude and Depth Analysis via Exploration of the Virtual Earthquake Lab:
Students access the IRIS Virtual Earthquake Lab. (see link below), see how it works.
Access the IRIS Seismic Monitor https://ds.iris.edu/seismon/index.phtm- Try the different options in the lab and see what you can find out about earthquakes. List the things this site can tell you on a piece of lined paper.
Using the IRIS Seismic Monitor (use above link) explore recent real-time earthquakes around the world.
Select a few recent earthquakes, noting the magnitude, depth, and affected area. Try to choose earthquakes from different tectonic settings and of different magnitudes.
Map out a these Earthquakes (put these on your map). Connect to data so you know which EQ goes with what data.
Part 4: Impacts of Earthquakes
Analyze Earthquake Impact Based on Depth and Magnitude:
Using the simulator https://www.iris.edu/app/10.5/, adjust variables like earthquake magnitude and depth to see how these factors impact the energy released.
Note how deeper earthquakes (like those in subduction zones) tend to have different surface impacts than shallow earthquakes.
Calculate Energy Released:
Use the simulator to view the logarithmic scale of earthquake magnitudes and discuss why a small increase in magnitude means a significant increase in energy.
Record energy comparisons, such as comparing a magnitude 6.0 to a magnitude 7.0 earthquake.
Reflection Questions:
Discussion and Conclusion
https://www.sciencecourseware.org/VirtualEarthquake/VQuakeExecute.htm
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lab Write up:
Part 1: Plate Boundaries
-provide a brief summary of what you learned (1-2 sentences).
-Submit chart.
Part 2: Understanding Seismology and Seismic Waves
-provide a brief summary of what you learned.
-answer reflection questions
Part 3: Earthquake Magnitude and Depth Analysis
-provide brief summary of what you learned.
-submit map with information from EQ you plotted
Part 4: Impacts of Earthquakes
-provide brief summary of what you learned.
-answer reflection questions
Conclusions and Summary Questions
-answer questions from this section
-submit anything you wrote down while doing the lab as an addition (if you want to show additional work)
