EARTHQUAKE!

WHAT YOU NEED

2 blocks of wood
1 ruler
clay
pencil
newspaper

BACKGROUND

Earthquakes are the result of the earth's plates moving past each other. This movement can be in one of several directions. Today, you will be a seismologist and see what happens when the plates move along a transform fault.

WHAT YOU DO

1. Put the wood blocks side-by-side on your desk with the long edges touching. These blocks will represent rocks along a fault in the earth.

2. On top of a piece of newspaper, squish the clay into a sheet large enough to cover both blocks and 2-3 mm thick. The clay will represent the earth's surface.

3. Place the clay on top of the blocks and squish it down so it sticks to the wood. Use the pencil to draw a line across the clay to represent a road.

4. Hold the clay and the blocks down and SLOWLY slide one block forward. Be careful to keep the edges of the blocks touching. Observe what happens to the road as well as the surface.

5. Take the clay off the wood. Repeat steps 1-4 only this time slide the blocks QUICKLY.

QUESTIONS

What happens to the surface of the earth when the rocks move SLOWLY?

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What happens to the surface of the earth when the rocks move QUICKLY?

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How might the speed of the earthquake affect people living near the fault?

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