The Earthquake Machine

1. The Earthquake Machine What will happen when we turn the handle? Activity prepared by David Steer and David McConnell at The University of Akron, contact steer@uakron.edu (330)972-2099 with questions. Earthquake machine design from http://quake.usgs.gov/research/deformation/modeling/eqmodel.html .

2. The Earthquake Machine • What will happen when we turn the handle? • The tubing will stretch and . . . • the brick will move steadily forward • the brick will not move at all • the brick will initially not move, then jump forward

3. The Earthquake Machine What will happen if we place the brick on a surface covered in talcum powder? • The tubing will stretch and . . . • the brick will move steadily forward • the brick will initially not move, then jump forward • the brick will move forward in a series of smaller jumps

4. The Earthquake Machine Predict what will happen if we use two bricks instead of one. Will movement on the “fault” be more or less? • More • Less • The same

5. The Earthquake Machine Match these statements • Slip on a fault is represented by . . . • . . . the stretching of the tubing • . . . the movement of the brick • . . . the turning of the handle • The steady build up of stress due to interactions of the plates of lithosphere is similar to . . . • The deformation of rocks in the crust prior to the earthquake is similar to . . .