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100% Chance of an Earthquake — Earthquake statistics.
USGSStatistics
Prediction
Basics
Info
Middle School
High School
General Audience
Elementary school
College

A Comparison of Two Bay Area Earthquakes: 1989 v. 1906 — Investigate the shaking intensity and magnitude of these two earthquakes.
USGSEffects, Earthquake
Intensity
Lessons online
Magnitudes
San Andreas Fault
Graphics
Lesson Plans
High School

Animations for Earthquake Terms and Concepts — Flash animations illustrating basic earthquake terms and concepts.
USGSEducation resources
Basics
College
Elementary school
General Audience
High School
Middle School

Become an Earthquake Scientist — What does a geophysicist do? What do you need to study in school to become a geophysicist? What are the opportunities?
USGSCareers
Info
Middle School
High School
College

Big Rocks, Little Rocks (PDF) — use cookies to demonstrate erosion and its effects
USGSEarth structure
Lesson Plans
Elementary school

Big Squeeze, The (PDF) — use crayon shavings to show how rocks are formed from other rocks, heat, and pressure
USGSEarth structure
Lesson Plans
Elementary school

Bigger Faults Make Bigger EQ's — three different rope lengths are used to demonstrate how a fault ruptures in an EQ and why bigger faults make bigger EQ's
USGSMagnitudes
Faults - SS, DS, Thrust, etc.
Lesson Plans
Elementary school

Can It Happen Here? — Could a large damaging tsunami happen in the United States?
USGSTsunamis
Societal Effects
Preparedness
Prediction
Hazards
Effects, Earthquake
Deaths from Earthquakes
Damage from Earthquakes
Info
College
General Audience
High School
Middle School

Can We Predict Earthquakes? PodCast — Scientist Mike Blanpied discusses the science of earthquake prediction.
USGSPrediction
Info
General Audience

Casualty (Fatality) Totals, A Note About — One-pager explaining why the numbers vary on different list.
USGSDeaths from Earthquakes
Societal Effects
Statistics
Info
General Audience

Central & Eastern US Fact Sheets, See also — 2-page information sheets for a general audience
USGSNew Madrid Seismic Zone
Info
General Audience

Coloring Pages to Print — Earthquake-related coloring pages to print out and color
USGSBasics
Fun & Games
Graphics
Interactive
Elementary school

Cool Earthquake Facts — fascinating earthquake facts
USGSBasics
Earthquake facts
Info
Middle School
High School
General Audience
Elementary school
College

Damaging Earthquakes in the United States (1750 - 1996) — Locations of damaging earthquakes in the United States
USGSDamage from Earthquakes
Info
General Audience

Deaths from Earthquakes in the United States — Deaths from earhquakes in the United States.
USGSDeaths from Earthquakes
Info
General Audience

Determining Danger (PDF) — identify potential hazards in your immediate environment and take action to increase safety
USGSHazards
Preparedness
Societal Effects
Lesson Plans
Elementary school

Determining the Depth of an Earthquake — brief discussion on depths of earthquakes
USGSLocating Earthquakes
Locations
Info
Middle School
High School
General Audience
College

Early History of Seismometry (to 1900), The — history of various instruments throughout the history of seismology
USGSHistory-Earthquakes, Seismology
Info
Graphics
High School
General Audience
College

Earth Egg (PDF) — use eggs to represent the Earth plates, discussions about remote shearing, plate tectonics, and earth structure
USGSEarth structure
Plate tectonics
Lesson Plans
Elementary school

Earth's Crust, The — how thick is the Earth's crust?
USGSMaps
Earth structure
Graphics
General Audience
College

Earth's Interior Minerals — how can EQ's tell us what is inside the earth?
USGSGeology
Earth structure
Lesson Plans
Middle School
Elementary school

Earthquake 101 Powerpoint Slideshow Download — a complete PowerPoint show for the basics
USGSPhotos, Earthquake
Effects, Earthquake
Earth structure
Damage from Earthquakes
Basics
Surface features - Faults, Earthquakes
Faults - SS, DS, Thrust, etc.
Historic Earthquakes
History-Earthquakes, Seismology
Locating Earthquakes
Maps
Plate tectonics
Seismic waves
Graphics
Middle School
High School
General Audience
College

Earthquake 101 Powerpoint Slideshow online — preview of the complete PowerPoint show for the basics
USGSBasics
Earth structure
Effects, Earthquake
Earthquake facts
Photos, Earthquake
Surface features - Faults, Earthquakes
Faults - SS, DS, Thrust, etc.
Locating Earthquakes
Plate tectonics
Seismic waves
Graphics
Middle School
High School
General Audience
College

Earthquake ABC: A Child's View of Earthquake Facts and Feelings — by kids for kids, with a special section for parents and teachers
USGSBasics
Info
Graphics
Elementary school

Earthquake Booms, Seneca Guns, and Other Sounds — An examination of strange and unexplained sounds that are sometimes heard accompanying earthquakes.
USGSEffects, Earthquake
Info
College
General Audience
High School

Earthquake Density Maps for the United States — Maps of the average number of Earthquakes per year, magnitude 5 and Greater, all depths, for the United States.
USGSSeismicity
Info
General Audience

Earthquake Density Maps for the World — Maps of average number of earthquake per year, magnitude 5.0 and greater, for the World. Maps are grouped by depth intervals.
USGSStatistics
Seismicity
Maps
Magnitudes
Graphics
Info
General Audience

Earthquake Facts & Earthquake Fantasy — Companion to "Earthquakes, Megaquakes, and the Movies"
USGSSocietal Effects
Effects, Earthquake
Myths
Earthquake facts
Info
Graphics
General Audience
High School
Middle School

Earthquake Hazards on the Island of Hawaii — summary of earthquake hazards in Hawaii
USGSEffects, Earthquake
Photos, Earthquake
Historic Earthquakes
History-Earthquakes, Seismology
Info
Middle School
High School
General Audience

Earthquake Model — earthquake recurrence, size, and prediction demonstration instructions, brick & sandpaper model
USGSBasics
Faults - SS, DS, Thrust, etc.
Prediction
Info
Lesson Plans
Middle School
High School

Earthquake Monitoring — explore the history behind earthquake monitoring; list of additional readings and links also included
USGSInstrumentation, seismographs, monitoring
History-Earthquakes, Seismology
Basics
Info
Middle School
High School

Earthquake Science Explained — A series of short articles for students, teachers, and parents originally published as weekly features in The San Francisco Chronicle. This USGS General Information Product presents some of the new understanding gained and scientific advances made in the century since the Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.
USGSBasics
Effects, Earthquake
Engineering, Earthquake
Faults - SS, DS, Thrust, etc.
Hazards
Paleoseismology
Preparedness
San Andreas Fault
Seismic waves
Trenching
Info
Middle School
High School
Elementary school
General Audience

Earthquake Statistics — Frequency of different magnitude earthquakes, number of earthquakes per year, etc.
USGSStatistics
Earthquake facts
Info
Elementary school
College
General Audience
High School
Middle School

Earthquakes — general overview of earthquakes, online USGS general interest publication
USGSEffects, Earthquake
Basics
History-Earthquakes, Seismology
Prediction
Seismicity
Info
Graphics
Middle School
High School
General Audience
College

Earthquakes and Plate Tectonics — Explains the theory of earthquakes and plate tectonics.
USGSPlate tectonics
Info
General Audience

Earthquakes in the United States, Magnitude 7 and Greater — List of earthquakes, by state, magnitude 7.0 and greater.
USGSHistoric Earthquakes
Seismicity
Info
General Audience

Earthquakes with 1,000 or More Deaths since 1900 — List of earthquakes with 1,000 or more deaths since 1900.
USGSDeaths from Earthquakes
Damage from Earthquakes
Info
General Audience

Earthquakes, MegaQuakes, and the Movies — discussion about facts versus fantasies
USGSSocietal Effects
Shaking
San Andreas Fault
Prediction
Plate tectonics
Myths
Magnitudes
Forces
Faults - SS, DS, Thrust, etc.
Earthquake facts
Effects, Earthquake
Damage from Earthquakes
Info
Middle School
High School
General Audience

EQ Fear (PDF) — make a list of common fears and address each one
USGSEducation resources
Lessons online
Preparedness
Lesson Plans
Elementary school

EQ Kit Treasure Hunt (PDF) — hide EQ kit items around classroom or school and have a treasure hunt
USGSEducation resources
Lessons online
Preparedness
Lesson Plans
Elementary school

EQ Myths (PDF) — investigate EQ myths; what myths exist and why do people believe them
USGSEducation resources
Basics
Lessons online
Myths
Lesson Plans
Middle School
High School

EQ Plan (PDF) — discuss a plan for what to do if there is an EQ; especially good for schools in EQ-prone areas
USGSEducation resources
Lessons online
Preparedness
Lesson Plans
Elementary school

EQs on the Surface (PDF) — use topo maps, seismicity maps, and fault maps to understand the connection between the surface features, locations of EQs and mapped faults
USGSLessons online
Faults - SS, DS, Thrust, etc.
Education resources
Surface features - Faults, Earthquakes
Maps
Seismicity
Lesson Plans
Elementary school

Fault Features (PDF) — a pan, dirt and some fabric create a model to demonstrate surface features of faults, use the Wallace Creek trail guide to see real fault features, or take a field trip
USGSFaults - SS, DS, Thrust, etc.
Education resources
Surface features - Faults, Earthquakes
Field trips - virtual, real
Lessons online
Lesson Plans
Elementary school

Flinn-Engdahl Regions — description of regions used to identify locations of earthquakes world-wide
USGSLocations
Maps
Info
High School
General Audience
College

Geologic Animations & Paper Models — from the USGS Learning Web
USGSBasics
Lesson Plans
Middle School

Groundwater Effects from Earthquakes — A description of the potential effects of earthquakes on groundwater and wells.
USGSEffects, Earthquake
Societal Effects
Info
General Audience

Hazards 101, Earthquake — The basics of how the USGS National Earthquake Hazard Maps are made.
USGSEffects, Earthquake
Engineering, Earthquake
Forces
Hazards
Shaking
Info
General Audience
College

High Quality Earthquake Animations — Simulations of earthquake ruptures that were run on the supercomputers at Caltech's Center for Advanced Computing Research
USGSEffects, Earthquake
Faults - SS, DS, Thrust, etc.
Modeling
Seismic waves
Shaking
Graphics
High School
General Audience
College

How much bigger is a magnitude 8.7 earthquake than a magnitude 5.8 earthquake? — How to compare magnitude and energy. With "Try It Yourself" Calculator.
USGSMagnitudes
Info
Fun & Games
Interactive
College
General Audience
High School
Middle School

How to Build a Model Illustrating Sea-Floor Spreading and Subduction — USGS Open File Report 99-132 (online) This report describes how to build a model of the outer 300 km (180 miles) of the Earth that can be used to develop a better understanding of the principal features of plate tectonics, including sea-floor spreading, the pattern of magnetic stripes frozen into the sea floor, transform faulting, thrust faulting, subduction, and volcanism.
USGSPlate tectonics
Lessons online
Education resources
Basics
Lesson Plans
Graphics
Middle School
High School
General Audience

Human Wave (PDF) — learn about the motions of P & S waves with a fun participating exercise
USGSSeismic waves
Lessons online
Education resources
Lesson Plans
Middle School
High School
Elementary school

Isoseismal Maps (PDF) — learn the difference between intensity and magnitude and gain experience with contouring on maps
USGSIntensity
Education resources
Lessons online
Magnitudes
Lesson Plans
Elementary school
Middle School

Large Plate Puzzle (PDF) — cut a large world map into puzzle pieces along plate boundaries, students discuss individually land then for the whole map after the class puts pieces together; simple but powerful, discussion Q/A included
USGSPlate tectonics
Lessons online
Education resources
Lesson Plans
Middle School
High School
Elementary school

Largest and Deadliest Earthquakes by Year, 1990 - 2005 — List of the largest and deadliest earthquakes, by year, 1990 -2005.
USGSHistoric Earthquakes
Deaths from Earthquakes
Seismicity
Info
General Audience

Largest Earthquakes by State — List and map of the largest earthquake in each State
USGSHistoric Earthquakes
Info
General Audience

Largest Earthquakes in the United States — Lists and maps of the largest earthquakes in the United States.
USGSHistoric Earthquakes
Info
General Audience

Largest Earthquakes in the World Since 1900 — List and map of the largest earthquakes in the world.
USGSHistoric Earthquakes
Info
General Audience

Late Night Musings of an Earthquake Seismologist — USGS Scientist Paul A. Reasenberg candidly discusses earthquake preparedness.
USGSSocietal Effects
Preparedness
Info
General Audience

Listening to Earthquakes — music and earthquakes have something in common!
USGSSeismic waves
Interactive
Middle School
High School
General Audience
Elementary school
College

Magnitude / Intensity Comparison — Explains the difference between magnitude and intensity.
USGSMagnitudes
Intensity
Info
General Audience

Magnitude 7 and Greater Earthquakes This Year — List and map of magnitude 7 and greater earthquakes this year. List and map of deaths from earthquakes this year.
USGSMagnitudes
Deaths from Earthquakes
Statistics
Info
General Audience

Magnitude 8 and Greater Earthquakes Since 1990 — List of magnitude 8 and greater earthquakes since 1990.
USGSMagnitudes
Statistics
Info
General Audience

Magnitude versus Intensity Lesson (PDF) — classroom lesson to teach the difference between earthquake magnitude and earthquake intensities
USGSIntensity
Education resources
Lessons online
Magnitudes
Lesson Plans
Graphics
Middle School
High School

Mantle Motions (PDF) — students act out various mantle motions in a game of fast thinking
USGSEarth structure
Education resources
Lessons online
Lesson Plans
Elementary school
Middle School

Measuring the Size of an Earthquake — How the size of an earthquake is measured.
USGSMagnitudes
Locating Earthquakes
Intensity
Info
General Audience

Men & Women of Seismology, The — biographies and photos of famous seismologists
USGSHistory-Earthquakes, Seismology
Careers
People
Info
Middle School
High School
General Audience
College

Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale, The — A description of the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale.
USGSIntensity
Info
General Audience

Most Destructive Known Earthquakes on Record in the World — Earthquakes with 50,000 or More Deaths
USGSDeaths from Earthquakes
Info
General Audience

New Madrid Earthquakes 1811 - 1812 — Accounts of the large earthquakes that occurred in the New Madrid area in 1811 - 1812.
USGSNew Madrid Seismic Zone
Info
General Audience

Number of Magnitude 7.0 and Greater Earthquakes per Year, Since 1900 — List of the number of magnitude 7.0 and greater earthquakes per year, since 1900.
USGSMagnitudes
Statistics
Info
General Audience

Online Coloring Pages — Interactively color earthquake-related pictures
USGSBasics
Interactive
Graphics
Fun & Games
Elementary school

Online Wordsearch Puzzles — interactive wordsearch puzzles with earthquake-related words
USGSBasics
Fun & Games
Interactive
Elementary school

Paper Models & Animations — Three-dimensional, cut-and-paste paper models and computer animations illustrating geologic processes and other geologic phenomena, not just earthquakes. Both paper copies and electronic diskette versions are available.
USGSModeling
Geology
Faults - SS, DS, Thrust, etc.
Education resources
Effects, Earthquake
Earth structure
Basics
Plate tectonics
Interactive
Graphics
Middle School

PBJ Fault (PDF) — demonstrate the different types of faults with a PBJ sandwich, and then eat it double-decker
USGSPlate tectonics
Lessons online
Faults - SS, DS, Thrust, etc.
Education resources
Lesson Plans
Elementary school

Potato Topo (PDF) — use a potato to make a 3-D 'topo map' and understand how it can be represented on a 1-D map, gain experience of maps and scales
USGSMaps
Lessons online
Education resources
Basics
Lesson Plans
Elementary school

Predicting Earthquakes — short overview
USGSPrediction
Info
General Audience
College
High School

Richter Magnitude Scale, The — Description of the Richter magnitude scale.
USGSMagnitudes
Info
General Audience

San Andreas Fault, The — overview of the San Andreas Fault, online USGS general interest publication
USGSBasics
Faults - SS, DS, Thrust, etc.
Historic Earthquakes
History-Earthquakes, Seismology
San Andreas Fault
Info
Graphics
Middle School
High School
General Audience
College

Schoolyard Geology — Online lesson plans with photos and images. Excellent geologic activities you can do anywhere! Education standards info included.
USGSGeology
Maps
Surface features - Faults, Earthquakes
Lesson Plans
Elementary school
Middle School

Science Explained, The — links to popular science articles about earthquake research
USGSBasics
Crustal deformation
Effects, Earthquake
Engineering, Earthquake
Surface features - Faults, Earthquakes
Education resources
Faults - SS, DS, Thrust, etc.
Geology
Hazards
Historic Earthquakes
History-Earthquakes, Seismology
Instrumentation, seismographs, monitoring
Locations
Magnitudes
Modeling
Plate tectonics
Prediction
Rock mechanics
Seismicity
Statistics
Info
General Audience
College

Science Fair Project Ideas — specific projects with directions and ideas
USGSEducation resources
Basics
Info
Graphics
Middle School
High School
Elementary school

Science of Earthquakes, The — links to various webpages with basic earthquake science info
USGSBasics
Info
Middle School
High School
Elementary school
College

Seismic Seiches — Description and history of seismic seiches.
USGSSeismic Seiches
Info
General Audience

Seismicity of the United States — Seismicity maps of the United States.
USGSSeismicity
Maps
Hazards
Graphics
Info
General Audience

Seismographs: Keeping Track of Earthquakes — brief description on how seismographs work to locate earthquakes
USGSSeismic waves
Networks
Locating Earthquakes
Instrumentation, seismographs, monitoring
Info
Graphics
Middle School
High School
General Audience
College

Severity of an Earthquake, The — measuring earthquakes, online USGS general interest publication
USGSMagnitudes
Intensity
Hazards
Graphics
Info
Middle School
High School
General Audience
College

Table-Top Earthquakes — USGS Open-File Report 98-767 (online)
USGSEducation resources
Faults - SS, DS, Thrust, etc.
Lesson Plans
High School
College

Teacher's Guide to the San Francisco Bay Area Geophysics Maps — USGS Open File Report 95-479 (online)
USGSSan Andreas Fault
Faults - SS, DS, Thrust, etc.
Education resources
Seismicity
Lesson Plans
High School

The Parkfield Experiment — attempting to predict a Parkfield, CA earthquake
USGSPrediction
Parkfield
Info
Graphics
High School
General Audience
College

This Dynamic Earth: The Story of Plate Tectonics — excellent comprehensive overview of plate tectonics with excellent graphics, online USGS general interest publication
USGSBasics
History-Earthquakes, Seismology
Plate tectonics
Info
Graphics
Middle School
High School
General Audience
Elementary school
College

This Dynamic Planet — World Map of Volcanoes, Earthquakes, Impact Craters, and Plate Tectonics
USGSPlate tectonics
Info
General Audience

Today in Earthquake History — what happened today in earthquake history
USGSHistory-Earthquakes, Seismology
Historic Earthquakes
Earthquake facts
Info
Middle School
High School
General Audience
Elementary school
College

Toilet Paper Geologic Time Scale (PDF) — use toilet paper to understand the enormous extent of geologic time compared to recent time; timeline included
USGSTime Information
Lessons online
Education resources
Basics
Lesson Plans
Elementary school

Top Earthquake States — Lists the states with the most earthquakes. The top 10 states are listed, but each state is ranked.
USGSSeismicity
Info
General Audience

Travel Time Information & Calculator — Choose a seismic station location and a recent earthquake, and see how long it takes different types of seismic waves to travel from the epicenter to your station. Travel time curve and other phase information.
USGSLocating Earthquakes
Earth structure
Seismic waves
Interactive
High School
College

Tsunami Websites — compilation of websites that provide current tsunami information
USGS

Tsunami Websites — List of websites that provide current tsunami information.
USGS

Understanding Earthquakes Makes for Messy Science — Earthquake processes typically occur tens of miles below the Earth's surface and over geologic time, away from direct observation. Earthquake science, in particular, is often subject to interpretation and bias.
USGSPreparedness
Info
General Audience

USGS and Science Education, The — webpages, links, booklets, maps, fact sheets, classroom lessons, etc. online and to order, mostly free
USGSBasics
Careers
Education resources
Lessons online
Lesson Plans
Info
Middle School
High School
Elementary school
College

USGS General Interest Publications — online and to order on a variety of subjects
USGSBasics
Info
Middle School
High School
General Audience
Elementary school
College

USGS Maps Booklet — online USGS general interest publication
USGSBasics
Maps
Info
Graphics
Middle School
High School
College

UTC - Coordinated Universal Time — Definition of UTC.
USGSTime Information
Info
General Audience

Where are the Fault Lines in the United States East of the Rocky Mountains? — Information on where the fault lines are in states east of the Rocky Mountains.
USGSSurface features - Faults, Earthquakes
Hazards
Faults - SS, DS, Thrust, etc.
Info
General Audience

Who Dunit? and the Law of Superposition (PDF) — solve a crime, and then use those same skills to understand the Law of Superposition (older layers of the earth on bottom) with a fun WhoDunit? investigation and then use your skills to solve a geological mystery
USGSTrenching
Paleoseismology
Lessons online
Geology
Education resources
Earth structure
Lesson Plans
Graphics
Elementary school

World Plate Boundaries Animation — World plate boundaries animation.
USGSPlate tectonics
Info
Graphics
General Audience

World Seismicity Maps — World seismicity maps.
USGSSeismicity
Maps
Info
General Audience