Sciencelog: Earthquakes

With the powerful earthquake that recently struck Alaska on January 24, 2016, I though it would be helpful to gather some of my earthquake related resources onto a single page. The quake registered 7.1 on the Richter Scale, making it one of the most powerful quakes to hit Alaska in recent decades.

Hopefully this information will make it easier to understand some of the news coverage, as well as helping you spot some of the common misconceptions, and answer some of the questions you may have.


Let's start with faults, since they are the best know part of the mechanics of earthquakes.


Making a Fault Block Model

You can explore the types of faults and how different forces cause different types by building some simple fault blocks.

Understanding the Richter Scale

Of all the information we get about earthquakes, the Richter Scale is probably the most misunderstood. This article may help a bit in understanding what the Richter Scale actually tells you. It is also a great excuse to eat cake and jello.

Earthquakes and Tsunamis

While this earthquake did not cause a tsunami, the topic often comes up when discussing earthquakes. Like the Richter Scale, tsunamis are also often misunderstood.