By : Matthew Goodbred and Katrien Holocker

How many original “supercontinents” did Wegener’s theory of continental drift assume? There was only one “supercontinent”. It was called Pangaea. It split up 225 million years ago. Eventually it became present day continents.

What are the major plates that effect the United States? There are five major plates that affect the United States. They are the North American plate,South American plate, the Pacific plate, the African plate, and the Eurasian plate.

Why do you think California has so many earthquakes but Florida doesn’t? In what hazard zone is your home located? It has many earthquakes because it is on the edge of the North American plate, and Florida isn’t. We are not in a hazard zone because we are in the middle of the North American plate.

What is considered to be the most destructive earthquake in history? When did it occur, where was it, what was its magnitude and how many people died? The earthquake had a magnitude of a 9.5! The range is from 1 to 10, so it was really big. It happened on May 22, 1960 in Chile. There were 4,485 deaths that day.

What are the three basic types of plate boundaries? The three main types are divergent, convergent, and transform. Divergent boundaries move away from each other and create Mid- Ocean Ridges. A convergent boundary moves toward one another and creates mountains. A transform boundary slips past one another and creates an earthquake.

What are tsunamis, what causes them and how fast do they travel? A tsunami is a series of humungous waves that can cause destruction, devastation, and loss of life when it strikes a coast. It’s caused by underwater earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, a sub-marine rockslide, or an asteroid or meteoroid crashing into the water from space. They can travel at 970 kph or 600 mph. that’s as fast as a jet flies!

What are the two types of energy waves created by an earthquake and how do they differ? Which type of wave travels faster? The two energy waves that are produced are primary waves and secondary waves. Primary waves don’t do as much damage as secondary waves. The primary waves travel faster than the secondary

How much more energy is released by a 7.2 earthquake than by a 6.2 earthquake? A 7.2 earthquake produces 10xs more ground motion than a 6.2. It also produces 32xs more energy than a 6.2.

What applications does seismology have besides measuring the magnitude and location of earthquakes? They use seismometers. They are used to detect seismic waves. They also use seismographs which record information about the seismic waves.

Where did most of the earthquakes happen last week? Chile and Haiti had the most earthquakes last week. They have had multiple aftershocks that have continued from last week to current day.

Can scientist predict earthquakes? Yes. Scientist can predict earthquakes. They just don’t know when or where they will occur.

How do scientists know where earthquakes actually occurred? They know because they have underground sensors. These sensors will tell them that they come to a certain area.