Earthquake Early Warning Systems

Grade 6•45 minutes•NGSS MS-ESS3-2: Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects.

Learning Objective

I can interpret the information provided by earthquake early warning systems to forecast potential earthquakes and inform safety measures.

Practice Questions

This lesson includes 6 practice questions to reinforce learning.

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1. Explain the difference between earthquake prediction and the function of the Shake Alert system as described in the video.

2. Describe the role of P waves and S waves during an earthquake. How do their characteristics affect the timing of alerts issued by the Shake Alert system?

3. If an earthquake occurs and you receive a Shake Alert message, what immediate actions should you take? Explain why these actions are important.

...and 3 more questions

Educational Video

ShakeAlert—Earthquake Early Warning System for the West Coast of the U.S. (2020)

IRIS Earthquake Science

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