By definition, an earthquake is a sudden and violent shaking of the ground, sometimes causing great destruction, as a result of movements within the earth’s crust or volcanic action (dictionary.com). Earthquakes occur among many places on earth and to a variety of different degrees. Earthquakes are specifically common in the San Francisco Bay region in California. Scientists have made great strides in the process of learning about earthquakes and continue to do more work that will help them learn about earthquakes in the future. Earthquakes occur when two fault planes strike one another resulting in the shaking of the earth. The earth shakes when the edges of faults are stuck together and the energy that would normally cause the blocks to
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They are able to record earthquakes by using a seismograph. The seismograph has a heavy weight that hangs freely off of a base that is set in the ground. When the ground shakes because of an earthquake, the base of the seismogram will stay still, but the string that the weight is hanging on absorbs the movement. Through the seismogram recording, scientists are able to determine the size of the fault and the amount of the slip. Based on “The Science of Earthquakes,” the length of the wiggle depends on the fault, and the size of the wiggle depends on the amount of slip. Scientists are able to locate an earthquake by using three seismographs and a method called triangulation. Scientists will draw circles on a map around the three seismographs, and the intersection of the circles is the location of the earthquake. Through these technological advancements in tracking earthquakes, scientists have been able to track information on past earthquakes in the San Francisco Bay region. Although it is hard to obtain detailed information on past earthquakes, scientists have learned that the rate of large earthquakes in the San Francisco Bay region was high in the late 1800’s but dropped after the 1906 earthquake that occurred in San Francisco along the San Andreas Fault (Earthquake Outlook for the San Francisco Bay Region 2014-2043, 4). This drop in rate was due to the fact that the slide …show more content…
First, people will benefit by knowing exactly how earthquakes are caused. Instead of being blindly panicked when an earthquake occurs, they will have an educated background and will know different tactics they can take to stay safe. For example, the article “Earthquake Outlook for the San Francisco Bay Region 2014-2043,” advises people to assess their homes and workspace areas to make sure they are not hazardous if an earthquake were to occur (6). The article also explains that people should create an emergency plan and practice the “Stop, Drop, and Roll” procedure. Another reason that people should be educated on earthquakes is so they can know the likelihood that one will affect them. Different locations on earth have high-risk of being impacted by an earthquake, and some locations have very low-risk. This impact also depends in the strength of the earthquake. It is important for people to know whether or not the city they live in is at a high-risk. I found the article “Earthquake Outlook in the San Francisco Bay Region 2014-2043,” interesting because my grandparents live in Petaluma, which is in Napa Valley, one of the areas in the region. Also, because I have lived in California my entire life, I have always been at a slight risk of being affected by California’s earthquakes. After the research I have learned from this paper, I feel more comfortable with the topic of
They are able to record earthquakes by using a seismograph. The seismograph has a heavy weight that hangs freely off of a base that is set in the ground. When the ground shakes because of an earthquake, the base of the seismogram will stay still, but the string that the weight is hanging on absorbs the movement. Through the seismogram recording, scientists are able to determine the size of the fault and the amount of the slip. Based on “The Science of Earthquakes,” the length of the wiggle depends on the fault, and the size of the wiggle depends on the amount of slip. Scientists are able to locate an earthquake by using three seismographs and a method called triangulation. Scientists will draw circles on a map around the three seismographs, and the intersection of the circles is the location of the earthquake. Through these technological advancements in tracking earthquakes, scientists have been able to track information on past earthquakes in the San Francisco Bay region. Although it is hard to obtain detailed information on past earthquakes, scientists have learned that the rate of large earthquakes in the San Francisco Bay region was high in the late 1800’s but dropped after the 1906 earthquake that occurred in San Francisco along the San Andreas Fault (Earthquake Outlook for the San Francisco Bay Region 2014-2043, 4). This drop in rate was due to the fact that the slide …show more content…
First, people will benefit by knowing exactly how earthquakes are caused. Instead of being blindly panicked when an earthquake occurs, they will have an educated background and will know different tactics they can take to stay safe. For example, the article “Earthquake Outlook for the San Francisco Bay Region 2014-2043,” advises people to assess their homes and workspace areas to make sure they are not hazardous if an earthquake were to occur (6). The article also explains that people should create an emergency plan and practice the “Stop, Drop, and Roll” procedure. Another reason that people should be educated on earthquakes is so they can know the likelihood that one will affect them. Different locations on earth have high-risk of being impacted by an earthquake, and some locations have very low-risk. This impact also depends in the strength of the earthquake. It is important for people to know whether or not the city they live in is at a high-risk. I found the article “Earthquake Outlook in the San Francisco Bay Region 2014-2043,” interesting because my grandparents live in Petaluma, which is in Napa Valley, one of the areas in the region. Also, because I have lived in California my entire life, I have always been at a slight risk of being affected by California’s earthquakes. After the research I have learned from this paper, I feel more comfortable with the topic of