October, 2000
A little late, but we're back!
The fall started off with a bang in northern California. On Sept 3, a magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck in the Napa Valley, near the town of Yountville. This earthquake was somewhat surprising in that it caused a lot of damage for a relatively small event. This earthquake was also interesting because it occurred on an unmapped fault. Here are two brief stories from the San Francisco Chronicle that discuss some of the interesting aspects of this earthquake.
The Web sites below provide more specific information about the earthquake as well as general information about seismic hazard in the United States.
Related Web Sites
Magnitude 5.2 Earthquake near Yountville, CA: The Web page below is typical of ones produced by the Berkeley Seismological Laboratory following events of interest. You will find background information, maps, and seismograms for this earthquake.
National Seismic Hazard Maps: This USGS web site provides access to seismic hazard maps for the United States. They can be used to compare the hazard in different states - or different counties. This Web page allows you to make your own map, by specifying the latitude and longitude of a box.
Related Classroom Activities
Elastic Rebound Animation: This animation of elastic rebound may help students visualize why earthquakes occur.
Investigating Earthquakes through Regional Seismicity: This is an online education module put together by the Southern California Earthquake Data Center. It is very rich in resources and activities, but does require a high-bandwidth connection.
Earthquake Safety Crossword Puzzle A crossword puzzle with clues related to earthquake safety and preparedness, with some focus on the San Francisco Bay Area. It may either be downloaded from the Web or solved online.
Science News Write-Up: Write a report on this article for your class! Here is a suggested outline to help you organize the report.
News Archive
Earth Science News Archive: We are building an archive of these news features. Feel free to browse earlier articles and resources!