Week 4...Earthquakes

Essential Question: How do stories of cataclysmic events help inform students about geosciences and cultures?

Explain:
Historic events, from primitive to Mt. Vesuvius, to our 1964 Alaska Earthquake, to the recent Haiti tragedy, all add to students understanding of the unimaginable quantity of energy that can is unleashed due to a sudden shift in the earth's crust. From the destruction of Pompeii, to the creation of the Hawaiian Islands by Maui the fisherman, history and stories, play a role in students understanding of geology and culture. From the havoc that occurred in Seward, Kodiak, Valdez and other coastal communities in 1964 Alaska and the death and destruction of the 2004 Indian Ocean quake, with the resulting tsunami, along with the recent Haiti quake, we learn that culture...where we live, for whatever reason, our "living" planet plays a part in our lives. Our proximity to subduction zones and/or faults determines the how much it effects us.

Extend:
Nearly the entire southern portion of the state of Alaska sits on the edge of the North American Plate. The Pacific Plate is being pushed northward due to convection currents from the mantle resulting in what is known as a subduction zone. As the Pacific plate is pushed northward it subducts under the North American Plate at the Aleutian Trench, which thanks to Google Earths ruler, I now know to be over 2600 miles long!

A continuous "creep" or slow consistent movement of this subduction provides Alaska with an average of about 50 to 100 minor earthquakes per day(Alaska Earthquake Information Center)--most small in magnitude. On occasion though, the Pacific Plate "sticks" and strain builds up to the point of a sudden shift, releasing energy in the form of seismic waves..."big earthquake"! Most major earthquakes, on our globe, occur on or near subduction plate boundary zones such as ours. An additional result of this plate movement is Alaska's volcanic activity which forms the Aleutian Chain. The Wrangells are also a result of plate movement, though they are constructed (uplifted) due to a folding action that occurs where boundaries are "smashed" together. Yet another result of tectonic movement is faulting. The diagrams below are from the Alaska Earthquake Information Center...the top diagram shows Alaska Seismicity of 1898 to 2002...the bottom diagram shows Alaska's major fault lines. Faults are places where action of natural stress in rock on one side of the fracture (fault) is moved with respect to the rock on the other side.

More devastating destruction occurred, from the 1964 Alaska earthquake, because of the tsunami waves that were produced by the quake. The July of 1964 National Geographic magazine has some incredible stories and photos of Alaska's Good Friday quake--I picked up my copy on ebay for $2. Many seaside communities were forever changed and some even relocated as a result of the quake and the ensuing tsunamis. Earthquakes, tsunami, and volcanoes should be, and are, of particular interest to Alaskans as we live "with" them--they play a factor in our work, play and should be a major planning concept when it comes to family/community emergency preparation plans.

I now realize what I, and more importantly my students, have been missing by my lack of utilization Google Earth as an instructional tool. Google Earth is effective for establishing connections between different places and people. Our department has just acquired a set of laptops, along with wireless internet. I annually begin my Geology course with the interpretation, understanding and use of maps. Google Earth will assist my students on properly determining distances, latitude and longitude, topography and the like. Using "paper" maps, with the combination of Google Earth, will develop a better understanding of what mapping is and I believe increase the validity of the use of mapping. It will raise the understanding of how people live and assist in the perception of the resources available in an area because of topography and location. I have a SmartBoard which will add to the effectiveness of Google Earth, especially for use in Geology as it will enable students to follow along on their paper maps and laptops with what I may be demonstrating/explaining utilizing the SmartBoard.

I have already integrated P and S waves into my Physics smartboard lesson (did not do that until just this week) when introducing the concept of waves...I know this will be more engaging for my students and create a higher level of interaction/understanding between the lesson and the learner. A compare/contrast activity of P and S waves versus transverse and longitudinal waves will be more coupled, with a result of a higher level of understanding! A great site for Alaska seismology information/data is http://www.aeic.alaska.edu/html_docs/faq.html
Another suggested site is http://express.howstuffworks.com/wq-earthquake.htm

Evaluate:
The materials of this module have reinforced and enriched my knowledge of the constructive and destructive forces involved with living near a plate boundary or hot spot. It has helped me better understand the personal/cultural side of these types of events both historically and in the present, along with attempting to comprehend what the future may hold. Google Earth has taken me places that I have never been. The wealth of information that I am now aware of is exciting. The instructional tools that Teacher's Domain has to offer is nearly endless and very user friendly. I know the quality of lesson delivery will be visually and conceptually enhanced and with confidence I can say that this will benefit my students understanding of some of the geologic cataclysmic events of the past and augment what they should know about our planet, along with the possible effects it may have throughout their lives.