Each series of animations below contains text, graphics, animations, and videos to help teach Earth Science fundamentals. Please click the link or scroll down to view the available animations. After viewing the animations, also check out our videos page.
Animations
Plate Tectonics Earth Structure
Divergent and Convergent Plate Boundaries Multi-Station Seismic Network NEW!
Elastic Rebound in a Subduction Zone 3-Component Seismograph
Elastic Rebound in a Strike-slip Fault Seismograph
Earthquakes
Seismic Wave Behavior- Effect on Buildings
Elastic Rebound Model- Block and Sandpaper
Interactive Animations
General Basin and Range COMING SOON!
Dynamic Planet- Earthquakes & Volcanoes NEW! Geologic Features
How Are Earthquakes Located- Walk Run Activity NEW! Earthquakes
Tectonic Plates NEW! Volcanoes
Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest vs Sumatra NEW!
Subduction Rollover Reveal NEW!
Earthquake Depth Rollover NEW!
Earthquake Rollover NEW!
Volcanoes Rollover NEW!
Teachable Moments
M7.8 Vanuatu (Oct 7, 09) NEW! Disponible en Español.
M8.0 Samoa Islands Region (Sept 29, 09) Disponible en Español.
M6.4 Offshore Venezuela (Sept 12, 09) Disponible en Español.
M7.3 Offshore Honduras (May 28, 09) Disponible en Español.
Animations
Plate Tectonics
Divergent and Convergent Plate Boundaries
The static size of the Earth implies that crust must be destroyed at about the same rate it is being created. Plate Tectonics provides the mechanism used to recycle the Earth’s crust. Three boundary types are shown here. Video lecture discusses four basic plate boundaries.
Elastic Rebound in a Subduction Zone
Frictional stress builds up along a locked subduction-zone boundary. When that stress exceeds a critical value, a sudden failure occurs along the fault plane that can result in a "mega-thrust" earthquake releasing strain energy and radiating seismic waves. [See Divergent and Convergent Plate Boundaries for more-detailed depiction.
Elastic Rebound on a Strike-slip Fault
Rock is deformed as it builds up strain in the plates at locked plate boundaries. Stress and strain increase along the contact until the friction is overcome and rock breaks. Video lecture showing demonstration of elastic rebound and brittle material using a yardstick.
Asperities
An asperity is an area on a fault that is stuck or locked. Scientists study areas along long fault zones that have not had earthquakes in a long time in order to determine where the next earthquake may occur; as long faults move, all areas of it will, at some point, become "unstuck" causing an earthquake relative the the size of the asperity that finally breaks.
Earthquake Faults
These animations of four faults are simplified examples of fault motion intended to show basic movement. Video lecture has classroom demonstration of faults and folds.
Earth Structure
Multi-station Seismic Network
One seismic station can give information about how far away the earthquake occurred, but yields little other information. The cartoonish amplified ground motions show the compressive P wave, the shearing S wave, and the rolling surface wave motions recorded by many stations with their characteristic seismograms. See also Travel-time curves.
3-Component Seismograph
Modern seismometers include 3 elements to determine the simultaneous movement in 3 directions: up-down, north-south,and east-west. Following an earthquake, the ground responds to P, S, and surface waves by moving in all directions. Each direction of movement gives information about the earthquake.
Seismograph
Animations of a drum-style vertical seismograph stations that record vertical and horizontal motion. Although the drum-roll seismographs are used only for museum-type venues, they illustrate the basic principles of operation.
Seismic Tomography
Seismic tomography is an imaging technique that uses seismic waves generated by earthquakes and explosions to create computer-generated, three-dimensional images of Earth's interior. Human CAT scans are often used as an analogy. Here we simplify things and make an Earth of uniform density with a slow zone that we image as a magma chamber.
Earthquakes
Seismic Wave Behavior: Effect on Buildings
An earthquake generates seismic waves that 1) penetrate the Earth as body waves (P & S) or 2) travel as surface waves (Love and Rayleigh). Each wave has a characteristic speed and style of motion. Here we exaggerate the motion by bouncing a building to show what sensitive instruments record as seismic waves arrive at the station.
Travel-time Curves
A travel time curve is a graph of the time that it takes for seismic waves to travel from the epicenter of an earthquake seismograph stations varying distances away. The velocity of seismic waves through different materials yield information about Earth’s deep interior.
Elastic Rebound Model - Block and Sandpaper
This block-and-sandpaper model can be used to teach the concept of elastic rebound and how energy is stored and released. Earthquakes can provide a useful context for teaching or reviewing many basic physics concepts, such as sliding and static friction, forms of energy and conversion from one form to another, and the elastic properties of materials.
Interactive Animations
General
Dynamic Planet- Earthquakes & Volcanoes
Download interactive Flash animation.
Touch buttons to see how earthquakes and Volcanoes align with tectonic plate margins.
How Are Earthquakes Located- Walk Run Activity
Download IRIS one-pager, "How are earthquakes located?"
Download interactive Flash animation that uses a simple model using the arrival times of P and S waves to learn the location of an earthquake epicenter. Although computer algorithms using P wave arrivals are used by scientists today, this method is valid for introductory lessons.
Download PDF background information and links to short video lectures that help understand the method.
Tectonic Plates
Download interactive Flash animation.
Touch plates to reveal the names of the major tectonic plates.
Basin and Range
Geologic Features
Earthquakes
Volcanoes
Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest vs Sumatra
Download interactive Flash animation.
Learn about the tectonic similarities between Sumatra and the Pacific Northwest U.S.
Northwest Plate Rollover
Download interactive Flash animation.
Learn how the physical geography of the Pacific Northwest reflects the plate tectonic regime.
Subduction Rollover Reveal
Download interactive Flash animation.
Rollover map to see the relative plate motion in the Pacific Northwest.
Earthquake Depth Rollover
Download interactive Flash animation.
Learn about the 3 main types of earthquakes in and around a subduction zone.
Earthquake Rollover
Download interactive Flash animation.
Learn about historic earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest.
Volcanoes Rollover
Download interactive Flash animation.
Learn about the volcanic peaks of the Pacific Northwest.
Teachable Moments
M 7.8 Vanuatu (Oct 7, 2009)
This animation compliments a 'Teachable Moment' presentation about the October 7 Magnitude 8.0 Vanuatu earthquake.
Download additional files from our Teachable Moments page.
M 8.0 Samoa Islands Region (Sept 29, 2009)
This animation compliments a 'Teachable Moment' presentation about the September 29 Magnitude 8.0 Samoa Islands earthquake.
Download additional files from our Teachable Moments page.
Esta animación complementa una presentación de 'Momentos de Enseñanzas' sobre el terremoto de Magnitud 8.0 ocurrido el 29 de Septiembre en las Islas Samoa.
Descarga archivos adicionales desde nuestra página de Momentos de Enseñanzas.
M 6.4 Offshore Venezuela (Sept 12, 2009)
This animation compliments a 'Teachable Moment' presentation about the September 12 Magnitude 6.4 Venezuela earthquake.
Download additional files from our Teachable Moments page.
Esta animación complementa una presentación de 'Momentos de Enseñanzas' sobre el terremoto de Magnitud 6.4 ocurrido el 12 de Septiembre en Venezuela.
Descarga archivos adicionales desde nuestra página de Momentos de Enseñanzas.
M 7.3 Offshore Honduras (May 28, 2009)
