By Rachel Thompson and Erica Axtell

Mercalli Scale(Earthquake Scale)

I to III Minimally feltIV Felt in doors, like a heavy truck passing by V Felt by all, trees and poles shake VI Moves furniture, loosens plaster VII Damages poorly built houses and buildings VIII Damages most buildings, walls collapse IX Cracks appear in the ground, mass destruction,

landslides X Ground badly cracked, buildings and foundations

destroyed XI to Total destruction, waves seen on ground X

Epicenter

• Epicenter is the point on Earth’s surface where the central point of the earthquake is

• This is where the shaking is strongest, and the shaking generally decreases in severity.

Other Intense Earthquake Zones

• “Shaking tends to be more intense on ground with loose or soft soils, or over landfills.” (Science Textbook)

• “In fact, an area of hard, stable bedrock close to the epicenter might

suffer less damage than an area

with loose soils farther away.”

(Science Book)

Loma Prieta Earthquake• In 1989 in San Francisco

• People had filled in some of the San Francisco Bay with loose soil called the Marina District.

• This place suffered more damage

than many other parts of the city

The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake

• April 18, 1906 at 5:12 AM • 3,000 deaths caused • $400,000,000 lost • Aftershock occurred, which caused a fire• 425,000 people homeless • This earthquake had very severe effects that will

always be remembered

Severe Effects

• Severe earthquakes can cause:– Death– Destroying of homes and buildings– Fires– Tsunamis– Money loss

Credits

• California Science Text Book

• Google Images

• “ Causes and effects of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake” by Erica Axtell