Lesson 2 - Measuring earthquakes

Lesson overview

In this lesson you will:

learn about the Richter and Mercalli scales
compare earthquakes using these scales.

Overview

Duration: 4:05

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Intentions and criteria

Learning Intentions:

To know how the Richter and Mercalli scales are used to measure earthquakes.
To understand the differences between the Richter and Mercalli scales.
To be able to use my numeracy skills to see number patterns and my observation skills to compare pictures with the Richter and Mercalli scale of earthquake measurement.
To be able to compare the impact of earthquakes of similar scale but in different settings.

Success Criteria:

I can use my research, analysis and communication skills to successfully compare the two main types of earthquake measurement.
I have successfully engaged with information on earthquakes to analyse and compare the impact of different earthquakes.

Challenges

Description of must do, should do and could do activities

Challenges

Some of the activities in this lesson are must do activities. These are also called a mini challenge. Please have a go at the should do activities and reach out to your teacher if you need assistance. You could also spend some extra time problem solving a solution to these challenges. Finally, there are super challenge activities, the could do activities. We strongly encourage you to try these.

Activity 1: The Richter scale

Task 1 - Some basic research

Use the Richter scale research document to complete the following questions:

What does the Richter scale measure?
- Research a definition.
- Find an image that highlights the level of destruction at each level.
- Remember to reference your sources for information and images.
When measuring earthquakes, we look at magnitude and intensity. Research the difference between these 2 terms:
- magnitude
- intensity.

CC0 Public Domain

Richter scale research template

Use this Google Doc template to complete your work.

To help you understand the difference between the Richter Scale levels check out Table 1: Comparing Richter Scale to the amount of TNT Explosive (in Kg). This table helps give you an idea of the amount of energy released at each level of the Richter Scale.

The amount of energy released by an earthquake has been converted to the energy, in Kg, of TNT explosive.

The maths behind the science

An estimate of the amount of energy released by an earthquake can be calculated using the Gutenberg-Richter magnitude-energy relation.

Richter scale vs TNT template

Use this Google document template to complete Task 2 and Task 3.

Task 2 - Richter scale vs TNT

Task 2 - Completing the table

Create your own copy of the Richter scale vs TNT activity document using the button.

Complete the shaded section of the table by converting the TNT (Kg) into scientific notation and then into scientific notation for Google or MS Excel.

Task 3 - Analysing the data

Complete these questions in the same Richter scale vs TNT activity document.

What can you observe about the Richter scale when compared to the amount of energy released as exploded TNT?
What does it tell you about the strength of earthquakes?
How many more times energy is released in a magnitude 5 earthquake compared to a magnitude 3 earthquake?

Need help converting a number into scientific notation for MS Excel or Google Sheets?

To convert the total amount of TNT in Kg into a version of scientific notation that works in MS Excel and Google Sheets use the following information.

Convert each number using the formula below so that it looks like this example:
- 7.42 x 10^6 turns into 7.42E06.
- Number before the X, followed by capital E, followed by whatever the power of 10 is, but add a zero.
So, using this method, 1.7 x 10^5 will turn into 1.7E+05 for example.

(We have to do this because the spreadsheet software doesn't understand this number 7.42 x 10^-6 as a number, it thinks it is text.)

Help, this activity is talking about scientific notation and I don't remember what that is or I forgot how to use it.

Revise scientific notation by going to the Maths is fun website. Read the information and then try the quiz at the end.

Task 4 - Graphing your data

Convert the data from the table you completed in Task 1 into a scatter or line graph in Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel, using the Excel scientific notation column of data.

Hint: Format the TNT (or y) axis to a Logarithmic scale to further see the relationship.

Graphing online using MS Excel or Google Sheets

Create a new Excel or Google Sheets file. Don't forget to label the file something useful so you can find it again. You could use Earthquake energy scatter graph as the name for example.
Copy the information you need from your data table into the spreadsheet.
Create a scatter graph using the data.
- Need help? Watch Creating a Scatter Plot in Excel on YouTube to get a brief introduction to how to create a graph in Excel or read and watch how to create your graph in Google Sheets on the Google website.
Save your document so that it is ready to submit to your teacher.

Activity 2: The Mercalli Scale

Another way of measuring an earthquake is by using the Mercalli scale. Make a copy of the Mercalli scale research document to complete the following questions:

What does the Mercalli scale measure?
- Research a definition.
- Find an image of the scale.
- Remember to reference your sources for information and images.
Why do we have the Mercalli scale when the Richter scale already measures the earthquake?
What additional information does the Mercalli scale give us about the natural disaster?

collapsed buildings following an earthquake, with rubble and building materials all over the street

CC0 Public Domain

Mercalli scale research template

Use this Google Doc template to complete your work.

Activity 3: The differences between the Richter and the Mercalli scales

Task 1 - Applying the Mercalli scale

Explore the Earthquake Photo Collections page on the USGS website.

Choose three of the collections and use the Google Doc template to record the following for each event:
- location
- year
- the Richter scale magnitude of the earthquake
- your observations of the impact based on the photos
Finally, attempt to place the event, based on the pictures, on the Mercalli scale and record your conclusion in the last column of the table. (You will need to reference the scale you found for Activity 2 to complete this part.)

Use this Google Doc template to complete your work.

Applying the Mercalli scale template

Task 2 - Compare these 2 earthquakes

Click on the images below to read up on the two earthquakes and then answer the following question in your exercise book or folder.

Describe 3 important observations about the differences between these earthquakes.

Magnitude 7.0 in Haiti

image link to M 7.0 - 10 km SE of Léogâne, Haiti on the USGS website

Download 12 slide Teachable Moment Powerpoint from the IRIS website for more details.

Magnitude 7.0 in New Zealand

image link to M 7.0 - 19 km NE of Methven, New Zealand on the USGS website

Download 20 slide Powerpoint presentation from the IRIS website for more details.

Note: This is the 2010 Christchurch earthquake which was fairly uneventful as a natural disaster.

Task 3 - A local example

Carefully read the information about the Newcastle earthquake on the Geoscience Australia website.
The Newcastle earthquake in 1989 had a magnitude of 5.4. Find another earthquake with a magnitude of around 5 on the Teachable Moments Archive page on the IRIS website.
In your exercise book or folder, complete the following 2 questions:
1. Describe the differences observed in the Mercalli scale measure based on the human impacts of the event (damage and deaths).
2. What local factors contribute to a higher Mercalli scale rating for a similar Richter scale measured event?

Extension activities

Follow the instructions on the Build your own seismograph page on the IRIS website to make a model of a seismograph.
Write a newspaper article about an earthquake. First do some research on the earthquake and then follow the following scaffold to complete it.
- Type of text: Newspaper report
- Purpose: Inform the public of the recent earthquake.
- Focus: Details on this recent earthquake.
- Headline
  - Reduced language in the title.
  - Should be attention grabbing.
- By-line (Writer’s name)
- The Lead Paragraph
  - Summary of the most important information.
  - Use Who, what, where, when and how.
- Further paragraphs
  - Aim for four or more.
  - Put the most important point in the first paragraph
  - Format the text into 2 columns.
  - In each paragraph expand and write using the following guidelines:
    - Maximum two sentences.
    - Use short sentences.
    - Third person point of view.
    - Use emotive language e.g. devastating.
    - You can include eye witness comments and comments from authorities like police, fire brigade.

Handing in your work

Don't forget to hand in the work you completed today!

Your teacher will have told you to do one of the following:
- Upload any digital documents you created and any photos you took of your written work to your Learning Management system (MS Teams, Google Classroom for example).
- Email any digital documents you created and any photos you took of your written work to your teacher.

Make sure you keep any hand written work you did in your exercise book or folder as your teacher may need to see these when you are back in class.

Student reflection

Show how you feel about today's learning.

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