1994 Northridge earthquake

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

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/1994-northridge-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. What is the date and time?January 17, 1994, 04:30:55 PST
2. What is the epicentral location?Beneath the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles
3. What was the Northridge earthquake and when did it happen?The Northridge earthquake was a big quake that shook Los Angeles on January 17, 1994. It had a magnitude of 6.7 and lasted about 8 seconds.
4. Why was the Northridge earthquake scary?It caused the ground to shake very hard, making buildings dance and overpasses collapse. Many people were hurt and homes were damaged.

Blind Thrust Fault: A geological fault deep within the Earth's crust that does not reach the surface, making it difficult to detect and predict.
Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA): A measure of the maximum rate of change of velocity of the ground during an earthquake, indicating its intensity.
Soft-Story Building: A building with a lower story that is significantly more flexible or weaker than the stories above it, making it vulnerable in earthquakes.