An Introduction to Seismic Eruption software and an associated classroom activity

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An Introduction to Seismic Eruption software and
an associated classroom activity

• Michael Hubenthal, IRIS Educational Specialist

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Additional functionality

• Has numerous preset views,
• Investigate global and regional geohazards
• Explore Plate Tectonics via cross-sectional
  perspective views of earthquake locations
• Is also very customizable
• Make your own map
• Terrain files
• Event files

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Activity Interrogating the Earthquake Catalog

• Barker, J. (2005) Student-centered experiments
  with earthquake occurrence data. The Earth
  Scientist 21(2), 21-23.

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Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult
the past

• Turn to you partner and discuss this statement
• What does it mean?
• Provide an example where it applies
• Could this statement connect to earthquakes? How?

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Guiding Content Questions

• Where do earthquakes occur?
• How frequently do earthquakes occur?
• How frequently do various sized earthquakes
  occur?
• How does regional tectonics affect distribution
  and frequency?
• Can past history of Earthquake occurrence
  predict future occurrences?

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Steps

• Select a region of the world that is of interest
  to you by making your own map
• Interrogate the EQ catalogue to determine the
  number of various sized events that occur
  annually for your region. (Use M0.5 intervals)
• Plot this information on the graph provided

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Questions

• Do you see any patterns or trends in earthquake
  occurrence in your region?
• Are the numbers of earthquakes in the smallest
  and largest ranges consistent with the trends in
  the other regions?
• Can you think of any reasons why the trend is
  flat for small and also large magnitudes?
• What is the likelihood that an earthquake of
  magnitude 7.0 or greater (which can cause severe
  damage) will occur in the next year in your
  region?
• How might this information be useful to society?
• Is there a risk for forecasting earthquake
  likelihood using a data set that only goes back
  to 1960?

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Improving skills organizing interpreting data
Latitude 12oS to 12oN Longitude 90oE to
130oE Dates 1/1/1960 to 1/1/2000
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Explore Prediction/Forecasting
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Summary

• Accommodates student interests by allowing them
  to define the temporal spatial limits of their
  study.
• Simple, easily acquired data set
• Explores the broad topics that lead to a general
  understanding of frequency and distribution of
  earthquakes
• Engages students in the process of science
• Making observations
• Collecting empirical data
• Exploring the limitation of the data
• Organization, graphing and analyzing the data
• Developing logical arguments to support
  conclusions
• Skeptical review of other students work

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Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult
the past
for human events ever resemble those of preceding
times. This arises from the fact that they are
produced by men who ever have been, and ever
shall be, animated by the same passions, and thus
they necessarily have the same results.
Machiavelli (May 3, 1469 June 21, 1527)