In Japan, 2004

In Kathmandu

In Baguio

AND FAULTS

Earthquakes are associated with faults. When a fault suddenly moves, an earthquake occurs.

What are

Faults?

Do the following activity to find out.

Can you spot the fault?

Compare what you see in the picture and what you saw in the activity.

Is there something in the picture that looks like what was formed in the activity?

Do you see anything similar?

Based on the activity and the picture, you can probably guess what a fault is by now.

Figure 3. Make a narrow box cover cut into two pieces

the movement along the “fault” is in the horizontal direction. That is, the “ground” moves sideways. You can also demonstrate movement in the vertical direction. The ground will be observed to move up or down

Activity 2.

1. Get the box cover and cut it so that the length of one piece is twice the other (Figure 3). If you cannot find a box cover, make one using cardboard.

2. Place the shorter box cover within the longer one (Figure 4, left photo). Put sand in the nested box covers. Shake the box side to side so the surface of the sand will become level (Figure 4, right photo).

3. Now, slowly pull the sides of the box covers as shown in Figure 5. Ask the students to observe carefully.

Fig. 5

This simulates what happens when the ground is pulled apart by forces within the Earth. Faults form, a portion of the land sinks, and a valley is formed.

a fault is formed when the ground is squeezed by forces from inside the Earth. A portion of the land is pushed up, and mountains are formed.

A fault is a break in the Earth’s crust, and along the break, significant movement has taken place.

Figure 11. Drawing A shows the ground before bending. In Drawing B, the ground is bending, storing energy. In Drawing C, the bending limit is reached, and the ground has snapped.