This animation shows the movement of seismic waves as they moved from Bolivia to San Juan Puerto Rico during a 1994 earthquake.

This resource provides definitions of important earthquake related terms.

In this interactive tutorial you will learn about earthquakes and seismic waves. Learn about why and how these form and also discuss the hazards - direct and indirect - posed by earthquakes. You will then learn how our knowledge of...

Learn about mechanical waves, which transfers energy from one place to another through liquids, gases and solids, with this interactive lesson.

Students learn about the types of seismic waves produced by earthquakes and how they move the Earth. The dangers of earthquakes are presented as well as the necessity for engineers to design structures for earthquake-prone areas that are...

Students learn what causes earthquakes, how we measure and locate them, and their effects and consequences.

This series of three articles (links) give basic information, describe the different causes of tsunamis, warning systems, past tsunamis and the evidence and destruction left by these waves. Animations are provided that illustrate...

This outstanding website provides an excellent variety of hands-on earthquake activities to help you understand what causes earthquakes.

A 260-page unit of activities on earthquakes. Covers what they are, their cause, why and where they occur, their impact on the Earth, how they are measured, and safety and survival. Includes worksheets and has a glossary at the end.

The U.S. Geological Survey sponsors this site about the history of earthquakes in the United States as well as information about how earthquakes are detected and measured.

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] The signs scientists might see prior to an earthquake occurring.

Discussion of liquefaction and landslides which are two of the many effects of earthquakes.

This resource describes the two different types of seismic waves and how they travel through the earth, offers diagrams of the waves, their speeds, and how seismograms are used to locate earthquakes.

A video and a short multiple-choice quiz on earthquakes, how they form, how they are measured, and the ways they can change the surface of the Earth.

Earthquakes can often hit unexpectedly. This article reveals some of the intricacies of these natural disasters and what signs serve as indicators to alert seismologists.

An overview of measuring earthquake magnitude.

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] What a longitudinal wave is, its compressions and rarefactions and what a P wave is.

A quick, introductory lesson about how earthquakes happen, and what impact these natural events have on life.

[Free Registration/Login Required] A look inside the Earth to see what happens as an earthquake propagates through it. Also on the site is a short quiz based on seismic waves.

[Free Registration/Login Required] A site that diagrams what happens if a major earthquake occurs over Alaska. A short quiz over the topic is also included.

This exercise will help students understand the plate boundaries of earthquakes.

In this instructional activity students develop a good understanding of different kinds of seismic waves and their effects.

Students analyze seismograms to locate mystery earthquake epicenters as they produce a news story about a major local earthquake to complete their mission.

Students learn about how engineers design and build shake tables to test the ability of buildings to withstand the various types of seismic waves generated by earthquakes. Just like engineers, students design and build shake tables to...