4 The waves wash onto the shore.


3


2 The waves transfer energy to the water.


The energy causes waves to grow.


1


The earthquake creates waves in the water.


Creating a Tsunami The earthquake near Japan


triggered powerful waves.


Working Together Eighty seconds doesn’t sound like much time, yet it was enough. People got out of elevators so they weren’t caught between floors. T ey moved away from windows that might shatter. School kids ducked under their desks. Trains slowed down. T e warning saved lives. T e giant quake in Japan shows that


scientists and engineers need to continue to work together. Scientists need to learn more about quakes. For example, they need to know how earthquake waves aff ect diff erent kinds of materials. T at way they can build more flexible buildings. T ey also need to find better ways to predict when a quake will strike. Engineers need to put that information


into action. Around the world, engineers keep coming up with ways to make buildings and people safer when the ground shakes. In other countries, engineers are working


on a warning system like Japan’s. Earth’s plates aren’t going to stop shiſt ing. More earthquakes are on their way. We just don’t know when, so people need to be prepared.


WORDWISE


earthquake: the sudden motion of Earth’s surface due to shifting along a fault


epicenter: the point on Earth’s surface where an earthquake starts


fault: a fracture in Earth’s surface that slips


magnitude: the strength of an earthquake, measured on a scale from 1 to 10


plate: a large piece of Earth’s crust that moves relative to other pieces


seismic waves: vibrations generated by an earthquake


seismograph: a sensitive instrument that detects and records movements or vibrations


tsunami: a fast moving, powerful wave triggered by an underwater earthquake or volcano


MARCH 2015 15


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