Geology Name: _____Gilbert Puga________

Earthquakes & Preparedness Homework

Complete your responses in a color other than black or red.

Part 1: Earthquake Forecasting

1. What is earthquake forecasting?

This is the process of determining the probability of an earthquake using a wide array
of monitoring techniques, data on active faults, and continually improved
understanding of faults.

2. Can the location, date, or time of earthquakes be predicted?

No, but with enough data we can determine a probability of an earthquake happening
within a particular time period.

 Part 2: Earthquake Simulations

1.  Describe the progression and dissipation of the earthquake you observed in video
2.1.

The Focus and Epicenter lights up with the initial seismic activity, and the P waves
quickly radiate outward along the fault, followed by the S waves and intense
undulating surface waves causing extreme shaking.

2. What differences did you observe between the magnitude 4.0 and 9.0 simulations
in video 2.2?

The shaking goes from almost imperceptible if one were busy and moving around, to
truly damaging violent shaking at the extreme end of a 9.0.

3. What locations are the safest during an earthquake? (Hint: you may want to look
it up!)

Underneath the sturdiest of desks away from windows and exterior walls.

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 Earthquakes & Preparedness Homework

 Part 3: Earthquake preparedness

1. Which background did you read?

______ Berkeley Seismo Lab: http://seismo.berkeley.edu/~rallen/seishaz/prepare/

___x__ Earthquake Country Alliance: http://www.earthquakecountry.org/sevensteps/

2. What general information is important to include in an earthquake disaster plan? List

at least (5) items.

- Securing items that are potentially dangerous falling objects, and be wary of
where and how they are stored.
- Have emergency bags and kits for emergency evacuation relocations. Kits that
include first aid items, emergency water, flashlights and portable nutrient dense
snack foods.
- Communicate a plan of action in case of an emergency situation during an
earthquake, including where the safest structures are in the home, a drill of what
to do first ( i. e. drop, cover and hold on) , where to meet after the shaking stops,
and know who in your family or neighbors that know CPR or medical training.
- Take care of financial issues in terms of special documents that need to be stored
well, and consider disaster insurance.
- After the event is over, put effort into reconnecting with those around you and
helping the community recover from the damage done.