2009 - Student Letters & Final Reports
Ms. Nanette Blank's class, Natural Learners, Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, USA
Mr. Zach Heald's 6th grade class, Rock Falls Middle School, Rock Falls, Illinois, USA
Ms. Anita Burt's 7th grade class, Anderson Preparatory Academy, Anderson, Indiana
Ms. Donna Cole, Edison Elementary School, Washington State, USA
Mr. Fred Ankersen, Melbourne, Florida, USA
Ms. Dorothy Clouser, 6th Grade Class, St Teresa School, Titusville, Florida, USA
Ms. Jennifer Mott, Myrtle Grove Middle School, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA
| Ms. Nanette Blank's class, Natural Learners, Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, USA | |
The Honorable Barack Obama 713 Hart Senate Office Building Dear President Obama: I have found most to certain good news. One you ask me if there is a pattern to earthquakes, and my answer is yes. Earthquakes seem to occur along the Pacific coastline of the United States. You second question was if there a way to determine where an earthquake will be, was answered in the first question. The third question was, "Is there a relationship between earthquakes and volcanoes?" May answer is that I believe there is. Your last question was what casues earthquakes. The answer is that there ar things called plates and they put pressure against one another until one dops up and shakes the earth making an earthquake. Now that I have answered all your questions, if you need my help again please call. Elaine B
Dear Mr. President, I am sure that your time is very valuable, so I shall get straight to the point. The most recent earthquake of the greatest magnitude was a 7.6 off the northern coast of Indonesia. The places most affected by earthquakes are as follows: the Western coast of South America, the Western coast of North America, Hawaii, the Southern coast of Asia, Indonesia, and the South-Western coast of Europe. We can tell which parts of the world are most affected by looking at previously recorded data, which we collect by using a seismograph, which measures the magnitude of ground tremors. Earthquakes can happen for various reasons, the greatest being the movement of the Earths tectonic plates when two or more of them rub against each other as they shift. Anywhere along the edge of any plate is susceptible to earthquakes. The parts of the world most prone to Earthquakes lay along the southern edge of the Eurasian plate, the Western edge of the Pacific plate and the Western edge of the South American plate. If an earthquake is powerful enough it can even trigger a volcanic eruption by squeezing the magma out of its underground recesses with its shaking and giving it the boost it needs to reach the surface. If you have any more questions or would like further illumination on this subject, please feel free to contact us and we will be more than happy to answer all questions to the very best of our abilities. Yours Truly, Paige T, Head Scientist, United States Geological Survey
Dear Mr. President, I have documented the strong earthquakes that have occurred from November 25th through December 2nd. Many of the earthquakes occurred on islands and on or near coasts, especially in the Tonga Region and islands in the North Pacific. Earthquakes are more likely to occur near areas of high volcanic activity, and yes, the two are related, because they both depend on tectonic activity,and both occur in areas where seafloor and continental plates meet. Also, earthquakes are most likely to occur on both coasts of the Pacific Ocean, the Ring of Fire’s location. The Ring of Fire gets its name because it is known for its high amount of both earthquake and volcanic activity. Earthquakes occur because of the disturbance in the movement of plates below the earth’s crust. This can be caused by various things, such as cracks in the plates or by volcanic eruptions that affect the plates. Sincerely, Jessica |
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| Mr. Zach Heald's 6th grade class, Rock Falls Middle School, Rock Falls, Illinois, USA | |
| Class letters (.doc) | |
| Ms. Anita Burt's 7th grade class, Anderson Preparatory Academy, Anderson, Indiana | |
| Aaron L | Jarred B |
| Matthew J | |
| Alexandria | Taylor W |
| Eliana | Terrell B |
| Evan D | Tyler B |
| Haley Z | Walter V |
Dear President Obama,
I am sure that your time is very valuable, so I shall get straight to the point. The most 8.2 in Shaanxi china on 1. 23.09 The places most affected by earthquakes are as follows: the Western coast of South America, the Western coast of North America, Hawaii, and the Southern coast of Asia, Indonesia, and the South-Western coast of Europe.
We can tell which parts of the world are most affected by looking at previously recorded data, which we collect by using a seismograph, which measures the magnitude of ground tremors.
Earthquake are made by the tectonic found mainly in the sea of some places listed above... some of the earthquakes can be so bad that they can kill people! Some you can’t even feel! Some leave damage some bad enough to leave some homeless. Some can leave no damage at all!
The parts of the world most prone to Earthquakes lay along the southern edge of the Eurasian plate, the Western edge of the Pacific plate and the Western edge of the South American plate.
If an earthquake is powerful enough it can even trigger a volcanic eruption by squeezing the magma out of its underground recesses with its shaking and giving it the boost it needs to reach the surface. If you have any more questions or would like further illumination on this subject, please feel free to contact us and we will be more than happy to answer all questions to the very best of our abilities.
Here are some cool facts about earthquakes!=]
- The largest recorded earthquake in the United States was a magnitude 9.2 that struck Prince William Sound, Alaska on Good Friday, March 28, 1964 UTC.
- The largest recorded earthquake in the world was a magnitude 9.5 (Mw) in Chile on May 22, 1960.
- The earliest reported earthquake in California was felt in 1769 by the exploring expedition of Gaspar de Portola while the group was camping about 48 kilometers (30 miles) southeast of Los Angeles.
- Before electronics allowed recordings of large earthquakes, scientists built large spring-pendulum seismometers in an attempt to record the long-period motion produced by such quakes. The largest one weighed about 15 tons. There is a medium-sized one three stories high in Mexico City that is still in operation.
- The average rate of motion across the San Andreas Fault Zone during the past 3 million years is 56 mm/yr (2 in/yr). This is about the same rate at which your fingernails grow. Assuming this rate continues, scientists project that Los Angeles and San Francisco will be adjacent to one another in approximately 15 million years.
Yours Truly, Nicole& Tyler, Mr. Fred Ankersen’s Class, Port St. John Florida
Interview
Have you ever been in an earthquake?? Yes
Was it BIG!?!?(Magnitude) 3 or 4
What did it feel like?? Weird. I thought that it was my vision
Were you scared?? Yes. I was more of excited!
Did you fall?? I rode it out I was on the 3 rd floor
Was there much destruction?? Not really, a couple of things fell off the building. They had a hurricane a few months before. So I was prepared for it.
Where were you?? Chinghai Taiwan
Did you know what was happening?? Not at first like 2 seconds later I finally realized "Hey I'm in an earthquake!"
How long did it last?? 5 to 10 seconds, but it seems A LOT longer when it was happening
Were you with anyone?? No. Well there were Chinese person in the quart yard, besides that no
How did they feel?? Chinese people in the quart yard were freaking out!!
How did you react?? Cool, I was surprised; I had felt nothing like it!!!
Did you lose electricity?? No. Before they lost electricity for 14 days so they built around it
Was there any after shocks?? Yes a day later
If so how many?? 1
Was there a crack on the ground?? No it was not that bad!!!
Would you ever want to experience one again?? Maybe if it was small again, no if it would be big!!!
How far away was it?? Unknown
Could you see it?? In a city 3 rd floor.
-Nicole &Tyler
Mr. Ankersen’s Class
Port St. John Florida
Interviewed- Ms. Kensinger, Teacher
Devin (.doc)
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