Earthquakes past and future
In this activity, students use data on historical earthquakes to identify when and where they occurred and make predictions about future earthquakes.
By the end of this activity, students should be able to:
use data to plot a timeline of large earthquakes that have happened in New Zealand over the last 170 years
look for patterns in earthquake events but learn that it is not possible to predict when an earthquake will occur
plot the locations of historic earthquakes (using latitude and longitude) and relate them to the positions of known geological faults
calculate averages and estimate tenths.
Wellington fault lines
Wellington is located on six active faults. This shows the fault that runs through the centre of Wellington Harbour and the Hutt Valley.
Download the Word file (see link below) for:
introduction/background
what you need
what to do
student handout: Looking for patterns
earthquakes in New Zealand over the last 170 years
earthquake timeline
plotting earthquakes using longitude and latitude co-ordinates
outline map of New Zealand
main active faults in New Zealand.
Related content
Frank Evison was one of New Zealand’s esteemed scientists who was a pioneer in the field of earthquake prediction. During his lifetime, our understanding of earthquakes improved dramatically. Frank believed passionately that, as a scientist, he had a duty to society, and his dedication to producing a reliable method of earthquake forecasting continued until his death in 2005. See his life, work and how it changed scientific thinking in our heritage scientist profile and interactive timeline.
Try the related activity Earthquake intensity – students study damage descriptions from past New Zealand earthquakes and decide on Modified Mercalli Intensity numbers for them.
Useful links
To find out more about being prepared for earthquakes and other natural disasters, visit www.getthru.govt.nz.
The data used in this activity is a summary of information from the GeoNet website, supplied by GNS Science.
Visit GeoNet’s Historical events sectionweb page to view a list of notable earthquakes.
Acknowledgement
This activity was developed for the Earthquake Commission (EQC), now known as the Natural Hazards Commission, and has been kindly provided for use on the Science Learning Hub.
Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake
Find out more about the Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake at www.naturalhazards.govt.nz.
