Earthquakes!

This earthquake in Prince William Sound, Alaska occured on March 28, 1964, and measured in at a 9.2 magnitude.

This earthquake in Fort Tejon, California occured on January 9, 1857 and measured in at a 7.9 magnitude.

What Can We Do To Prepare?1. Make sure buildings meet earthquake requirement codes.2. Keep heavy or glass items in lower shelves so that they can't become dangerous projectiles during an earthquake. Also, place latches on cabinet doors in order to reduce the amount of debris that could fall and injure someone.3. Learn first aid! Learning simple medical care can really make a difference after a natural disaster like an earthquake.

Earthquakes' magnitude is measured using a seismograph!

Why Should We Care?Earthquakes can cause major damage to our buildings, roads, and homes. The violent shaking caused by earthquakes can easily bring buildings to the ground, cause bridges to fall, and unfortunately injure or even kill people in the effected area.

EARTHQUAKES

An earthquake is a violent shaking of the ground caused by the sudden breaking and movement of large sections of the earth's rocky outermost crust called tectonic plates!

Citations1. http://safety.lovetoknow.com/Earthquake_Safety_Precautions2.http://www.vtaide.com/png/George/earthquake.htm3.http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/10_largest_us.php

Earthquakes are most likely to occur on fault lines, seen in this map!