-->
What Are Teachable Moments?
February 2, 2012 (13:34:40 UTC)
Magnitude 7.1 Vanuatu
A major earthquake struck near Vanuatu in the southwest Pacific Ocean early Friday morning local time 124 km (77 miles) west of Port-Vila, Efate, Vanuatu. There were no immediate reports of damage and no tsunami was generated. The earthquake occurred near the subduction zone where the northeastern corner of the Australia Plate subducts beneath the Pacific Plate.
Teachable Moment Presentation
- 7 slide Powerpoint presentation (zipped ppt 1.7 MB / pdf 500 kB)
En Español
- Presentación en Español (zipped ppt 1.7 MB / pdf 519 kB)
January 10, 2012 (18:37:01 UTC)
Magnitude 7.3 Off the West Coast of Northern Sumatra
A major earthquake occurred off the West Coast of Northern Sumatra at 12:37 a.m. local time at a depth of 29 km. The earthquake was centered in the Indian Ocean about 262 miles southwest of Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia. There were no immediate reports of damage.
Teachable Moment Presentation
- updated 10 Jan 9 slide Powerpoint presentation (zipped ppt 6.06 MB / pdf 1.3 MB)
Animations and Visualizations
- Wave Propagation (Quicktime 3.62 MB / YouTube)
En Español
- Presentación en Español (zipped ppt 2.85 MB / pdf 1.3 MB)
December 14, 2011 (05:04:57 UTC)
Magnitude 7.1 Eastern New Guinea Reg, Papua New Guinea
A major earthquake occurred in the Eastern New Guinea Region approximately 89 km (55 miles) SSW of Lae, New Guinea, PNG. No tsunami warning was issued as the earthquake occurred inland, and there were no immediate reports of damage.
Teachable Moment Presentation
- 6 slide Powerpoint presentation (zipped ppt 1.91 MB / pdf 763 kB)
En Español
- Presentación en Español (zipped ppt 2.01 MB / pdf 769 kB)
October 23, 2011 (10:41:21 UTC)
Magnitude 7.2 Eastern Turkey
A major earthquake has occurred in Eastern Turkey. The US Geological Survey reports "The ... earthquake occurred in a broad region of convergence beyond the eastern extent of Anatolian strike-slip tectonics. The focal mechanism of today’s earthquake is consistent with oblique-thrust faulting on a south-southwest trending fault, similar to the trend of mapped faults in the region."
Teachable Moment Presentation
- 11 slide Powerpoint presentation (zipped ppt/animations 11.4 MB / pdf 1.55 MB)
- Classroom-ready Powerpoint presentation (zipped ppt/animations 11.4 MB / pdf 1.57 MB)
Animations and Visualizations
- Wave Propagation (Quicktime 3.01 MB / YouTube)
- USArray Ground Motion Visualization (mpeg-4 7.17 MB)
- Back Projection (mpeg-4 51.0 kB)
En Español
- Presentación en Español (zipped ppt/animación 11.4 MB / pdf 1.55 MB)
USGS Resources
- Earthquake Information
October 21, 2011 (17:57:16 UTC)
Magnitude 7.4 Kermadec Islands Region
A major earthquake occurred near the Kermadec Trench about 1215 km (754 miles) northeast of Auckland, New Zealand. This region of the Tonga-Kermadec subduction zone experiences reasonably high levels of seismic activity, with nearly 50 events of M 6.5 and above over the past 38 years, and 5 greater than M 7.5.
Teachable Moment Presentation
- 12 slide Powerpoint presentation (zipped ppt/animations 15.7 MB / pdf 1.36 MB)
- Classroom-ready Powerpoint presentation (zipped ppt/animations 15.8 MB / pdf 1.42 MB)
Animations and Visualizations
- Wave Propagation (Quicktime 2.87 MB / YouTube)
- USArray Ground Motion Visualization (mpeg-4 11.4 MB)
- Back Projection (mpeg-4 79.4 kB)
En Español
- Presentación en Español (zipped ppt/animación 15.7 MB / pdf 1.39 MB)
USGS Resources
- Earthquake Information
September 15, 2011 (19:31:02 UTC)
Magnitude 7.3 Fiji Region
According to the US Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center, a major earthquake occurred in the early morning local time southeast of and deep below Suva, Viti Levu, Fiji. Because this earthquake occurred over 600 km below the surface of the Earth, no tsunami was produced and only light ground shaking was felt even on the island closest to the epicenter.
Teachable Moment Presentation
- University of Portland/IRIS Earthquake Notice (pdf)
En Español
- Universidad de Portland/IRIS Notificación de Terremoto (pdf)
September 3, 2011 (22:55:36 UTC)
Magnitude 7.0 Vanuatu
As determined by the US Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC), a magnitude 7.0 earthquake occurred in the Northern New Hebrides Trench. This major earthquake was 122 km (75 miles) south-southeast of Isangel, Tanna, Vanuatu where strong ground shaking was felt. Because this earthquake occurred at more than 100 km depth, a tsunami was not generated and no tsunami warnings were issued. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
Teachable Moment Presentation
- University of Portland/IRIS Earthquake Notice (pdf)
En Español
- Universidad de Portland/IRIS Notificación de Terremoto (pdf)
August 24, 2011 (17:46:11 UTC)
Magnitude 7.0 Northern Peru
A major earthquake has occurred beneath northern Peru. This earthquake occurred in the subduction zone where the oceanic Nazca Plate dives beneath the continental South American Plate. Because of the 145 km depth of this earthquake, the ground shaking intensity was moderate even near the epicenter. There have been no immediate reports of major damage, injuries, or deaths resulting from this earthquake.
Teachable Moment Presentation
- University of Portland/IRIS Earthquake Notice (pdf)
En Español
- Universidad de Portland/IRIS Notificación de Terremoto (pdf)
August 23, 2011 (17:51:04 UTC)
Magnitude 5.8 Virginia
A moderate earthquake occurred in Virginia 61 km (38 miles) NW from Richmond, VA and 135 km (84 miles) SW from Washington DC. This shallow (6 km) earthquake occurred as reverse faulting on a northeast-striking plane within a previously recognized seismic zone, the 'Central Virginia Seismic Zone'. The Central Virginia Seismic Zone has produced small and moderate earthquakes since at least the 18th century.
Teachable Moment Presentation
- 15 slide Powerpoint presentation (zipped ppt/animation 6.90 MB / pdf 2.71 MB)
Please note, animation (while referenced) is not embedded in the powerpoint
En Español
- Presentación en Español (zipped ppt/animación 6.87 MB / pdf 2.65 MB)
Por favor nota que la animación, (aunque referenciada), no está incluida en la Presentación PPT
Animations and Visualizations
- USArray Wave Propagation (mpeg-4 2.50 MB)
- 24-hr Seismogram from closest station, CBN Fredericksburg, VA (08/23/11 571 KB) (08/24/11 885 KB)
- 24-hr Seismogram from USArray station, KMSC Blacksburg, SC (08/23/11 867 KB) (08/24/11 917 KB)
USGS Resources
- Earthquake Information
August 20, 2011 (16:55:03 UTC)
Magnitude 7.1 Vanuatu
As determined by the US Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC), a magnitude 7.1 earthquake occurred at 03:55:02 AM local time in the Northern New Hebrides Trench. At 05:19:24 AM local time, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake occurred with essentially the same epicenter but shallower depth. There were no immediate reports of damage and no tsunami was generated. Both earthquakes occurred in the subduction zone where the northeastern corner of the Australia Plate subducts beneath the Pacific Plate.
Teachable Moment Presentation
- University of Portland/IRIS Earthquake Notice (pdf)
En Español
- Universidad de Portland/IRIS Notificación de Terremoto (pdf)
View All Recent Earthquake Teachable Moments