1755 Lisbon earthquake

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/1755-lisbon-earthquake

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How tall is 1755 Lisbon earthquake?Up to 20 meters (66 feet) in some areas
2. What is the date of occurrence?November 1, 1755
3. What is the epicenter location (probable)?Atlantic Ocean, likely near the Azores–Gibraltar Transform Fault
4. What happened in Lisbon on November 1, 1755?A huge earthquake struck Lisbon on the morning of November 1, 1755. It shook the city for six to seven minutes, breaking many buildings. Then a giant wave and fires made the damage even worse.
5. Why did the earthquake cause such big damage?The quake was very strong, about magnitude 8.5 to 9.0, and it shook the ground for several minutes. That power broke tall buildings and caused many people to lose their homes.

Azores–Gibraltar Transform Fault: A major geological fault line in the Atlantic Ocean where tectonic plates interact.
Enlightenment: An 18th-century intellectual and cultural movement emphasizing reason, individualism, and skepticism.
Seismology: The scientific study of earthquakes, seismic waves, and the Earth's internal structure.
Urban Resilience: The capacity of cities to withstand, adapt to, and recover from shocks and stresses like natural disasters.