An earthquake strikes while Rahul is at school. Sort each action he could take — SAFE or DANGEROUS?
Sort it!
1He pressed the button for the school lift to go to the ground floor quickly
2The school bus driver pulled over in an open space away from the bridge and switched off the engine
3He ran to the school playground away from all buildings
4He ran through the doorway as the top of the doorframe was crumbling
5He moved away from the tall bookshelf and crouched against the interior wall
6He rushed to the window to see what was happening outside
7He dropped to his knees under his sturdy wooden desk and held the leg tightly
8Rahul lit a candle at home to see after the power cut — there was a smell of gas in the kitchen
Safe action during earthquake
write sentence numbers here
Dangerous action during earthquake
write sentence numbers here
2
A geologist is explaining what happened during a large earthquake. Sort each part of the explanation — does it describe WHERE the quake started underground, HOW it is measured, or WHAT HAPPENED on the surface?
Sort it!
1
2Two giant slabs of rock that had been slowly moving toward each other for centuries
3The number 6.8 — which scientists used to describe how much energy was released
4The point 15 km underground where two rock layers slipped against each other
5A deep crack in the ground that geologists had mapped — where rocks on either side had moved over many years
6The instrument in the lab that drew squiggly lines on a rolling paper as the waves passed
7Smaller shakes that continued for three days after the main event — rattling dishes and waking people at night
Where the quake starts (underground)
write sentence numbers here
Measuring the quake
write sentence numbers here
Effects on the surface
write sentence numbers here
3
Read each situation and fill in the missing earthquake term!
Fill in!
Earth's crust is not one solid piece — it is broken into large plates that move very slowly, like pieces of a cracked eggshell.
tectonic
seismograph
Richter
Scientists located the exact point 20 km below the surface where the rock first cracked. That underground point is called the .
fault
seismograph
focus
The town of Bhuj, directly above the point where the quake started, experienced the worst damage — it was the .
epicentre
focus
tsunami
An undersea earthquake off the coast of Japan caused the ocean floor to shift suddenly. This sent a massive wave racing toward shore.
tectonic
tsunami
Richter
The news reported: 'The earthquake measured 7.7 on the scale.' A higher number means more energy was released.
