Investigating Earthquakes
Project WISE, Spring, 2002
Earth Science Educational Resource Center

Instructor

• Glenn Richard [Glenn.Richard@sunysb.edu]
• Teacher Supervisor: Beth Casey, Comsewogue HS

Goal

• During this workshop, we will develop a plan for a hypothetical "International Earthquake Relief Organization", headquartered in the Mineral Physics Institute at the Stony Brook University.  The mission of this organization will be to mitigate the harmful effects of seismic events.  Its strategy will be to develop:
• Education programs about the geology of earthquakes
• Programs for improving the design of buildings
• Evacuation plans
• Proposed locations for branch offices
• Plans for coping with the various types of damage that occur
• Plans for bringing in food and supplies
• A strategy for locating the epicenters of events as quickly as possible after they occur
• Priorities, targeting areas most likely to be affected by seismic events
• In order to develop this plan, we will need to learn as much as possible about the geology of earthquakes anf the effects they have on human society.
• The plan will be posted on this Web site in April, 2002.

Schedule

• Thursday, February 7, 2002
• Introduction
• Seismometer tour
• Digital seismometer demonstration
• P and S wave demonstration
• Form planning committees
• Hazard committee - where earthquakes occur and what are their direct and indirect effects
• Preparedness committee - how to construct buildings, what infrastucture is needed to cope with emergencies, where to site branch offices
• Response committee - plan for quick response to events, including evacuations, bringing in food, medical supplies and personnel
• Mercalli Intensity Scale activity
• Distribution of earthquakes: Seismic Eruption program
• Committees perform preliminary planning of the "International Earthquake Relief Organization"
• Tuesday, February 26, 2002
• Stick-slip experiment
• Earthquake prediction
• International Earthquake Relief Organization planning session
• Break
• Lab tours: Petrology Lab, Isotope Lab, Hydrogeology Lab, High Pressure Lab

• Wednesday, March 27, 2002
• Study of seismic waves
• Primary waves
• Secondary waves
• Rayleigh waves
• Seismic waves interactive program
• Finding epicenters
• International Earthquake Relief Organization planning session
• Wednesday, April 17, 2002
• International Earthquake Relief Organization Planning session
• Develop the final report (Powerpoint presentation)
• Thursday, April 25, 2002
• Final presentations

Last Modified February 7, 2002