Lesson 1: Earthquake Risks – Dutch located the tectonic plates covering Earth’s surface. Then he identified the movement of the Pacific Plate as transform, the South American Plate as divergent, and the Indian Plate as convergent which is how the Himalayan Mountains were formed. He learned what factors affect the amount of damage caused by an earthquake. One factor is the amount of loose sediment on which a building stands. Another factor is liquefaction or wet soil which is responsible for most damage to buildings. Earthquakes can trigger landslides too. When they occur on the seafloor and the plates shift vertically they can generate a large wave or tsunami.
Assignment: Add pictures of types of tectonic plates and liquefaction to science notebook.