My guilty pleasure is natural disaster movies. It is a shame there have not been good ones around lately. This one is an exception, though.
Interview a partner:
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Have
you ever experienced an earthquake or a natural disaster?
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When was the last earthquake that you remember?
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Has your house been damaged by an earthquake or
any other natural disaster?
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What happens during an earthquake?
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What
areas of the world have many earthquakes?*
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Is
it possible to know in advance that an earthquake is coming? **
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Where
is the best place to go during an earthquake? ***
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Is
an earthquake always followed by a tsunami? ****
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What
causes aftershocks? *****
Answer key:
* Earthquake
danger zone map:
An
earthquake zone is a region in which seismic activity is more frequent. It is
impossible to predict earthquakes with precision and most high-activity
earthquake danger zones are situated along the fault zones. Fault zones that
are prone to seismic activity are regions of the Earth's crust are those areas
where tectonic plates meet. Therefore, fault zones are also located around
volcanoes. Some important parts of the world which lie in fault zones and where
earthquakes are regularity are:
California
through which the San Andreas passes and also the Hayward fault zone located in
the San Francisco Bay, where the North American and Caribbean tectonic plates
meet.
Padang, the
capital of West Sumatra province of Indonesia, is located on some of the
world’s most dangerous fault zones.
Islamabad,
capital of Pakistan, is located on major fault lines which lie in the meeting
of the Iranian and Arabian micro-plates making it a highly dangerous region for
seismic activity.
The country
of Iran is located in the Alpine-Himalayan belt which is an active seismic
zone.
Japan which
is located on the convergence of many oceanic and continental plates has many
densely populated cities of Tokyo and Yokohama.
Mexico is
located on the convergence of three of the earth’s tectonic plates.
Similarly,
Vancouver Portland and Seattle lie in the dangerous Cascadia Subduction Zone.
The
Xianshuihe, Min Jiang and Kunlun fault lines also passes through China.
The Eurasian
and African tectonic plate passes through the south of Italy making the country
vulnerable to earthquakes.
** Scientists
have tried lots of different ways of predicting earthquakes, but none have been
successful. They have a pretty good idea of where an
earthquake is most likely to hit, but they still can't tell exactly when it
will happen.
However, the probability of a future earthquake
can be calculated, based on scientific data. Scientists at the US Geological
Society (USGS) estimate that the probability of a major earthquake occurring in
the San Francisco Bay area over the next 30 years is 67%.
*** Indoors: Drop, cover, and hold on. Drop to the floor, take
cover under a sturdy desk or table, and hold on to it firmly. Be prepared to
move with it until the shaking stops. If you are not near a desk or table, drop
to the floor against the interior wall and protect your head and neck with your
arms. Avoid exterior walls, windows, hanging objects, mirrors, tall furniture,
large appliances, and kitchen cabinets with heavy objects or glass. Do not go
outside!
Outdoors: Move to a clear area if you can safely do so;
avoid power lines, trees, signs, buildings, vehicles, and other hazards.
Driving: Pull over to the side of the road, stop, and
set the parking brake. Avoid overpasses, bridges, power lines, signs and other
hazards. Stay inside the vehicle until the shaking is over. If a power line
falls on the car, stay inside until a trained person removes the wire.
**** Not
always. It depends on the magnitude, the directions of the frictions, distance
from the coast. How deep the epicenter was and many other variables.
***** An
aftershock results from the sudden change in stress occurring within and
between rocks and the previous release of stress brought on by the
principal earthquake. Aftershocks occur in rocks located near the epicenter or along the fault that harbored the principal quake.
Watch the movie segment and say what you would in that situation.
Do you ever think about how vulnerable a city or country you are visiting is to an earthquake or a natural disaster (San Francisco, Seattle, Italy, Chile, Japan, among others)?
MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - SAN ANDREAS
