Earthquake Safety Plan

Introduction:

           For my earthquake safety plan, There are a number of steps that my family needs to complete.  We need to decide where we're going to stand if an earthquake occurs, we need to put together earthquake safety kits, we need to decide what to do with our cat, Simba, and we need to know what would happen if our power and water source went out.

 1.) Earthquake Safety Kit:

          I decided that first and foremost, my family needs to have an earthquake safety kit.  We need to have at least four safety kits inside the house in case we are separated during the earthquake.  First of all, they must have water – at least two bottles.  We also need to have band-aids tweezers, antiseptic, and other things found in a first-aid kit,  food for Simba, food for us, a whistle, extra clothes, a blanket, money, a flashlight and batteries, and a small radio in each kit.  In preparation for an earthquake, I think that we need to learn how to use the radio to contact people in case we get stuck under rubble.



2.) Where We're Going to be in an Earthquake:

If you were to go under a table, this is what you would do.

          During an earthquake, I would prefer for the members of my family to be under doorways, because they are so stable.  Also, according to my parents, the bathrooms of our house are very strong and secure, so in order to be the safest we can be, my sister and I will take cover under the doorway of our bathroom, and my parents will stand in the doorway of their bathroom.  Before I came to this conclusion, I considered us standing upstairs in the hallway, so that knick-knacks and shelves wouldn't fall on us, but I decided against it, because our upstairs hallway is a kind of balcony looking over our downstairs entrance.  If the glass separating us from the edge of the floor were to break, and we slid down and over onto the downstairs floor, we might sustain serious injuries.  I also thought about us huddling under the kitchen table, because it seems pretty stable, but there are so many things that could potentially fall sideways under the table, and there are many glass/breakable items in the kitchen, that I didn't think the table would be such a good idea.  Finally, I came to the conclusion of bathroom doorways.


3.) What We're Going to do about Simba:

          We own a pet cat called Simba.  He is a very important part of the family, and if he were to get killed in an earthquake, we would be devastated.  I had some trouble coming up with a solution as to what we would do with him, but I finally decided that we should just let him do what he wants to do.  Most animals know instinctively where to go during natural disasters, and it will probably be the same with Simba.  He's small enough to fit under our sofas, couches, and beds, and he would probably be very safe.  If, for some reason, he doesn't know what to do, and he just starts running around the house like crazy, one of us would probably pick him up and hold him during the earthquake (just as long as he doesn't squirm too much).  When I was first trying to figure out what to do with our cat, I thought that the first person to see him should pick him up and hold him still under a bathroom doorway, but I dropped that idea, because Simba has a tendency to squirm when held too long, and might cause a lot of trouble for us.  


4.) What would Happen if the Quake Cut Electricity and Water:
          If we were in an earthquake and it cut our electricity and water source, we would most likely use our fire, flashlights, and candles as a light source, and juice, fruits/vegetables, and bottled water to hydrate us.  My family has been through many situations where the electricity has gone out, and we know what to do; we have emergency flashlights located in various locations throughout the house, and we use those to find candles and light them.  Then, we all gather in one place to talk, eat, and do other things, just like normal.  If our water source also went out, we would use bottled water, fruit juice that we usually have in the fridge, and fruits such as grapefruits (typical in our household) in the place of the tap.  Our distiller might also have some extra water still in it that we could drink, and, if we got really desperate, we could drink from our toilets (we have four).  

5.) What We're Going to Change about the House:
In order to make our house safer for people during an earthquake, I propose that we get rid of heavy pictures hanging over our beds, take breakable glass items from high shelves, and get rid of heavy lamps and plants on shelves.  If we have heavy pictures hanging over our beds, they could fall on us during an earthquake, and the results could be disastrous.  I believe my parents have one hanging over their bed, so I think that we should move it so that it is hanging across from their bed.  I know that we have heavy and breakable objects on high shelves, because I have some in my room.  I have some weighty wooden boxes on my shelves, and I really wouldn't want them to fall and break - especially if I was running to our bathroom to take cover.  They could fall on me and deliver big injuries.  Also, we have a whole bunch of water and wine goblets high up above our kitchen table.  If the cabinet they are in swung open during a quake, they would all fall out and break.  If my family were eating during dinner and an earthquake occurred, we would be in trouble.  We also need to get rid of our heavy plants on shelves.  We can do this by re-potting our plants in lighter containers.

Design Your Own Seismograph Lab

Can you design and make your own seismograph?
          My seismograph consists of four chopsticks held together by twine, glue, and many pens and highlighters.  In order for it to work, you need to hang it from the ceiling by very long twine or string, similar to a mobile, and make sure the sharpie you use to record seismic activity touches the long piece of paper you have.  Whenever a tsunami hits, it will be recorded on the paper without interference, because whenever heavy objects hang on string, they generally don't move when the string does.  Here are questions and answers concerning my seismograph. 

1.) What problems or shortcomings did you encounter with the seismograph you tested in Part 1? Why do you think these problems occurred?

          When I tested my seismograph in part 1, I noticed that my pen didn’t write anything. All it did was just dangle there, wobbling on top of the paper, without recording anything. It made a few marks, but no lines. I decided that this might be because either I didn’t have a dark enough pen or I needed to press harder to make a mark with it. Also, my pen moved when the “earthquake” occurred, but it was only the paper that was supposed to move. I thought that if I added more weight to the bottom of the seismograph, it wouldn’t wiggle as much when the “earthquake” happened, and I would make bigger and better marks.

2.) How did you incorporate what you learned in Part 1 into your seismograph design in Part 2? For example, what changes did you make to improve consistency from trial to trial?

          In order to make my seismograph work better, I stuck more pens and highlighters into the twine criss-crossing between the chopsticks its bottom, and used a felt-tipped pen instead of a ball-point pen to record the “earthquake”. This way, I thought I would solve both problems of not enough weight and invisible marks. The thing was, I did make marks, but my pen still wobbled around a lot when I created the “earthquake”, which definitely interfered with what it was supposed to be recording. Also, it made better lines, but not dark enough for my satisfaction.

3.) As you designed, built, and tested your seismograph, what problems did you encounter? How did you solve these problems?

          As I designed, built, and tested my seismograph, I encountered a big problem: my pen and my paper moved, so I wasn’t actually recording a good earthquake. In order to solve this problem, I just kept on adding more and more weight to my seismograph to keep it from jiggling, which really helped. In order to make my lines darker, I used a sharpie, which worked very well.

4.) What limitations did factors such as gravity, materials, costs, time, or other factors place on the design and function of your seismograph? Describe how you adapted your design to work within these limitations.
          One of the major factors that affected my seismograph was material. Originally, I’d had a soft, pliable string in mind to tie the chopsticks together in a square, but I was stuck with twine. The thing about twine is that it doesn’t like to make knots, and will quickly untie itself if jiggled around too much. This was very frustrating, because whenever I started tying two more chopsticks together, the one that I’d just tied previously came loose. I solved this difficulty by using a supposedly quick-dry glue (which didn’t dry quickly at all), to keep the twine in place.  Also, I had a hard time finding pens that would make good marks on the paper, so in the end, I chose a sharpie.

The Faint Lines

Dark Sharpie

5.) Why is it important for scientists around the world to have access to accurate and durable seismographs?
          It is important for scientists around the world to have access to accurate and durable seismographs, because then they can record the various earthquakes happening around, and look for patterns. If they can discover patterns, they might actually be able to predict when the next earthquake will happen and where, which could give people ample time to evacuate if needed. Since strong earthquakes can cause disaster, this would be very useful knowledge to have.

Advertisement:

Labeled Sketch

          Geologists all over the world should buy my seismograph, because it is only $25, it is reliable, and it has been tested multiple times in order to make sure it works well. The first time we tested it, it made no marks at all, and if it had, it would have recorded inaccurate earthquakes. To fix this, we added more weight to it, and used a different pen. Although this pen worked much better than the first, it was still too faint, and inaccuracy was still recorded. In order to make darker lines and better accuracy, we added much more weight, and used a sharpie. This worked perfectly, and now our brand new seismograph is just right for recording earthquakes.

Tsunami Essay

                  Tsunamis are among the magnificent natural phenomena that our planet is home to.  They are equal to the aurora, surpass thunder, and are just as grand as lightning.  Tsunamis can start out as small, 10-centimeter tall waves, that grow and grow in the ocean, until they reach awesome heights by the time they hit the shore.  The largest wave ever recorded hit Alaska, and was 1,720 feet high.  Tsunamis can create tremendous damage when they hit towns and cities, and they can kill thousands of animals and people all at once.  They can cause tons of economical disaster: millions of dollars needed to repair damage done to buildings, all the people that are out on the streets, homeless, might owe the bank sums of money that can’t be repaid, which makes banks lose tons of money, which could possibly lead to an economical crisis.  State parks could be destroyed, leading to a faster extinction of endangered animals.  The last person knowing a certain native language might pass away, leaving true understanding of that tongue impossible from now on, and much more.  These are some of the reasons why scientists try to predict tsunamis, and they have come up with a number of ways to anticipate them, and get people away before they hit.

Bottom Pressure Sensor

One of the most common ways of measuring tsunamis that scientists use is a bottom pressure sensor.  Because all tsunamis happen after an underwater earthquake, but they don’t happen every time after an underwater earthquake, many false alarms and hasty/expensive evacuations have happened.  Bottom pressure sensors are meant to go on the sea floor.  They can detect the slight pressures of baby tsunamis traveling above them, and are generally very reliable.  As the full tsunami really actually reaches its full amplitude once it’s reached the shore, it’s only about 10 cm out in the ocean.  Bottom sensors measure the pressure of the water, and they record whatever they feel and send their information to a nearby buoy.  The buoy then transmits this to a satellite, which gets it to a watch station with scientists who can sound the alarm if needed. 

There are both good and bad things with people using bottom pressure sensors.  First, they can be expensive.  Secondly, putting them under the water in the ocean can cause harm to the natural environment around them.  Consecutively, this could cause a chain reaction that could start out with either the lack of habitat or damaged habitat for a few species, and then spiral out to effect huge monsters such as the great white shark through the food chain.  If one species of animal decreases, the ones that eat it decreases, and then the ones that eats them die too.  Although using bottom pressure sensors could potentially cause big problems for many of the animals in their areas, they could also make possible homes for small fish, shrimp, and plants.  Algae could begin to grow on the bottom of the buoy and around the edges of the sensor, providing food for little fish, shrimp, crab, and other small, underwater creatures.  This could lead to a rise in these animal populations (which are mostly prey) and that, in turn, could lead to a rise in the secondary and tertiary consumers.  That whole ocean area would flourish for a while until the food begins to run out, when all species would start to decline in population numbers.  

According to scientists, you can also use GPS satellites to predict tsunamis.  Satellites can tell how much the earth in the ocean has actually been moved, and then geologists can use this information to determine whether or not there is a tsunami risk or not.  The GPS strategy works by scientists measuring the time signals from the satellites take to arrive at earthquake stations within a couple thousand kilometer radius of the quake itself.  That way, they can tell how much the stations have been moved by the earthquake, and then decide if there could be a potential tsunami.

The problem with the GPS satellites is that they can’t actually sense or measure a tsunami.  They can only tell whether or not there might be one.  However, because they can make scientists aware of the fact that a potential earthquake might occur, they are more alert and better prepared if there really is one.  Also, combined with the information from the bottom pressure sensors, the accuracy of the satellites might add an extra couple of minutes to evacuation, which could save many lives.

Another way people try to predict tsunamis is to trace an underwater earthquake to its epicenter.  Once you figure out where the epicenter of an earthquake is, you can determine where the tectonic plates pushed up to create a wave.  Then, you can decide whether or not your area is in tsunami range, and save your city.  The problem with this is that most underwater earthquakes do not create big waves.  Then, people evacuate the city for no reason.  It’s a big waste of time, money, and resources, and it doesn’t even work that well anyway.

How Tsunamis are Formed

Being able to detect tsunamis is important, because powerful tsunamis have the ability to knock down tall buildings and small homes alike, killing thousands of people and causing tons of expensive damage.  Supposedly, even a one minute warning can give people the time they need to get about a mile up to higher ground, which could mean the difference between life and death.  If a poorer country gets hit by a tsunami, it might not be able to pay for the damage done to its cities, and more people could die because of untreated injuries, or because they don’t have a roof over their heads, or food to eat.  The bottom sensors are able to detect tsunamis so accurately that they can give people hours of warning time, and people living along the West Coast in the United States of America may be evacuated after a warning from an earthquake all the way in the Cascadia fault.  With all the new ways of detecting tsunamis combined, everyone might have a better chance to survive these enormous waves.

Resources:

1.)    "Tsunami-recording in the Deep Sea." PhysOrg.com - Science News, Technology, Physics, Nanotechnology, Space Science, Earth Science, Medicine. Web. 22 Feb. 2011. <http://www.physorg.com/news114696029.html>.

2.)    "Savage Earth: Predicting Tsunamis." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. Web. 22 Feb. 2011. <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/savageearth/tsunami/html/sidebar1.html>.

3.)    "Predicting Tsunamis — GEOL 105 Natural Hazards." A Class Blog on Current Hazard-related Events — GEOL 105 Natural Hazards. Web. 22 Feb. 2011. <http://geol105naturalhazards.voices.wooster.edu/predicting-tsunamis/>.

4.)    "NGI News Story -- Sep 18, 2010: FSU Researcher Deploys Bottom Sensors." Northern Gulf Institute. Web. 22 Feb. 2011. <http://www.northerngulfinstitute.org/news/fullstory.php?nid=351>.

5.)    "GPS Can Predict Tsunamis." Universe Today. Web. 22 Feb. 2011. <http://www.universetoday.com/199/gps-can-predict-tsunamis/>.

 

Questions for Notes on Section 2-3 of Textbook

1a.)  What is a seismograph?
          A seismograph is a device used by scientists to record, monitor, and analyze movements of the earth. The average seismograph will consist of a weight attached to a frame by spring or wire.  There is a pen or other writing device hanging down, stuck to the bottom of the weight.  Its point rests on a rotating drum, which moves when seismic waves occur.  There is a paper wrapped very tightly along the drum, and when it moves, the pen draws a line on it.  When earthquakes hit the lab, the drum moves a lot, but the pen mostly stays still, and records the movements of the drum.  Scientists can look at seismographs, and measure how much the earth is moving.

1b.)  How does a seismograph record waves?
          A seismograph records waves with its drum.  The rotating drum will vibrate whenever it feels seismic activity.  On the other hand, the pen is kept still by the weight it's attached to, so its inky tip records the movements of the vibrating drum.  It's like moving paper to write letters instead of moving the pen. 

1c.)  A seismograph records a strong earthquake and a weak earthquake.  How would the seismograms for the two earthquakes compare?
          If a seismograph recorded a strong earthquake and then a weak one, the strong quake would have a much more turbulent and violent line, with many high points.  The weak earthquake would make a less agitated line, with lower points.  This is because when the strong earthquake hit, the rotating drum vibrated quite a lot, but since the pen stayed still, you can see exactly how much it moved; same with the smaller earthquake. 

2a.)  What four instruments are used to monitor faults?
          The four instruments used to monitor faults are tilt-meters, creep meters, laser-ranging devices, and GPS satellites.  Each instrument has its own way of measuring the movements of faults and the land around them. 

2b.)  What changes does each instrument measure?
          Tilt meters measure the tilting of the ground (as could be expected).  They are made of two liquid-filled bulbs connected by one hollow stem.  When the land ascends, the liquid in one bulb pours into the other bulb, and vice versa.  Creep meters consist of wire stretched across a fault, anchored to a post on one side, but attached to a sliding weight on the other.  Scientists can tell how much the fault moved by how much the weight was moved.  Laser-ranging devices use laser beams to detect movements in faults, and GPS satellites orbit earth and measure tiny movements of certain markers set up on both sides of a fault.

2c.)  A satellite that monitors a fault detects an increasing tilt in the land surface along a fault.  What could this change in the land surface indicate?
          If there is an increasing tilt in the land surface along a fault, this could mean that an earthquake might soon occur.  This is because stress is slowly building up in the area around this fault, and once too much stress builds up...KABOOM (rocks slip creating earthquakes).  The type of stress building up would probably be compression, and possibly shearing.  Not tension, because tension pulls rocks apart, but compression could definitely work, because it is caused by two plates pushing together, which can create mountains and volcanoes.  In a thousand years, this spot of land that is pushing up might become a great mountain range.


3a.)  What are three ways in which geologists use seismographic data?
          Three ways that geologists use seismographic data is to map faults, monitor the changes along faults, and to try to predict earthquakes.  Sometimes, it's hard to detect faults, because they are often covered with soil or rock, but when seismic waves hit faults, they bounce back, getting recorded on seismographs.  Then, scientists can map them.  Monitoring changes along faults can help predict earthquakes.  If you can find out how much friction there is in a fault, you can tell whether or not there is a higher earthquake risk or not; if there is high friction, the rocks will get stuck, creating tension, that will be released in an earthquake.  When there is low friction, the rocks will just slide by, and there is a very low possibility of an earthquake.

3b.)  How do geologists use seismographic data to make maps of faults?
          Geologists use seismographic data to make maps of faults when they aren't visible.  Some faults are located under soil and rock, but when seismic waves hit them, they bounce back in reflection.  Seismographs can record these reflections, and then geologists know that faults are there.


3c.)  Why do geologists collect data on friction along the sides of faults?
          Geologists collect data on friction along the sides of faults in order to figure out whether or not earthquakes might occur in certain places.  If there is a very low amount of friction, the rocks on either side of the fault will slide by each other, and not stick at all, but if you have a very high amount of friction, the rocks will get stuck.  If the rocks get stuck, then energy/tension will build up in the fault, and it will eventually be released in an earthquake. 

How Measuring Changes in the Land Along Faults can Help Predict Earthquakes

          Measuring changes in faults may be able to help where earthquakes will hit next.  Scientists can use tools such as tilt meters, creep meters, laser-ranging devices, and GPS satellites to monitor whether faults move up and down or side to side. 
          There are many different ways that we can use faults to our advantage.  Sometimes, faults create complex patterns, which, when noticed, can help geologists tell when an earthquake might happen.  Other times, in a fault zone, if one fault is triggered by a lot of stress to create an earthquake, the energy released by that quake will increase the stress on a fault nearbye.  Then, that fault will create an earthquake, which will then trigger another one in a nearer fault, and then another, and then another.  It's like dominoes - when you tip one over, they all fall down.  If we can find out where the first earthquake might begin, we can predict all the other faults that will slip/break under the extra stress.  Also, if we monitor the movements of the land around faults, we may be able to figure out when stress is building up inside them, and that way, we could figure out when the next earthquake is going to be. 

I found this really great websites about faults and seismic waves and everything, with moving diagrams:  Awesome Earthquakes

Seismic Activity in Orange, California

        Near the town I was born, Orange, CA, there is quite a lot of seismic activity.  Orange is a rather small town, so I first looked for it on a map, and the nearest major Californian city was Los Angeles, so I researched for earthquakes/seismic activity in Los Angeles, rather than Orange (I didn't get many results when searching for the second.)     I found a map recording the earthquakes noticed in the past week, and I found 16 - all ranging from 1.0 to 3.0 on the Richter Scale.  My map also recorded the past days, too, and I found that there was an earthquake with a magnitude of 1.5 at exactly 2:04 PM (Californian time) yesterday. 
          I also researched about why there are a whole bunch of earthquakes in California, and I found out that LA is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire.  This ring has caused many faults/fault zones, such as the San Andreas, Elsinore, and San Jacinto fault zones.   Parts of California are directly above the borders between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate, which explains why there is so much seismic activity there.

Finding an Epicenter Lab Report

Guiding Question:  How can you locate an earthquake's epicenter?

Hypothesis:  I think that to find the epicenter of an earthquake, you need to find the center of all three cities that felt the earthquake, and in the middle, you will find the epicenter of the original earthquake.

Questions for Reflection:

1.)  Observe the three circles you have drawn.  Where is the earthquake's epicenter?
          According to my map, the epicenter of the earthquake in question is located in the south of Tennessee, in between the cities of Memphis and Chattanooga.

2.) Which city on the map is closest to the earthquake's epicenter?  How far, in kilometers, is this city from the epicenter?  
          The city closest to the epicenter is in Chicago, Illinois, and it is approximately 730 kilometers away from it.


3.)  In which of the three cities listed in the data table would seismographs detect the earthquake first?  Last?
          Of the three cities on the map, Chicago would detect the earthquake first, because it is closest to it.  The waves would hit Illinois first, and then the seismographs would detect it and record it.  The last city to get word of the earthquake would be Denver, Colorado, because it is farthest away from the epicenter.  The waves would have a longer distance to travel, and so the seismographs would record them much later than the other two cities.

4.)  About how far from San Francisco is the epicenter that you found?  What would be the difference in arrival times of the P waves and S waves for a recording station in San Francisco?  
          The epicenter I found is about 3,300 km away from San Francisco.  The P waves would arrive much sooner than the S waves, because P waves travel in longitudinal waves, which travel much more quickly than S (transverse) waves.

5.) What is the earthquake risk in this area, and why might this earthquake occurred?
          According to my plate map, I can assume that there is a medium risk of earthquakes in Tennessee.  This is because it isn't that close to any plate boundaries, but it isn't exactly far from them either.  The earthquake in question could have been caused by either the North American Plate and the Nazca Plate pushing together under compression stress, or the North American and African Plates pulling apart through tension.  I am more convinced that this earthquake was caused by compression, because: 
                             a.) Many more major earthquakes are caused by compression.
                             b.) The area of compression is slightly closer to Tennessee than the area of tension.

6.)  What happens to the difference in arrival times between P waves and S waves as the distance from the earthquake increases?
           As the distance between earthquake epicenter and city increases, the difference between the arrival time of P waves and S waves broadens.  This is because the P waves are continually traveling more quickly than S waves, and when there is more time to pull ahead, there will be a greater difference between the two waves' arrival. 

Overall Reflection:
          All in all, my hypothesis was incorrect. I thought that to find the epicenter of an earthquake you would need to find the place in between all the cities that felt it.  Instead, you need to use a compass to draw circles around the three cities and look for where the lines cross.  That will be where the epicenter is.