TECTONICS Disasters Media Educational ROURKE and PLATE By Tom Greve rourkeeducationalmedia com Teacher Notes available at rem4teachers com
CHAPTER ONE UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE’RE STANDING OVER What is the nature of the ground beneath our feet In many ways the answer depends on where a person is standing The ground can be hard and rocky It might be covered by soft grasses In urban areas it may be covered by concrete But most people take the ground for granted We assume it is solidly underfoot supporting us our houses and our cities 4
Solid ground should not always be taken for granted It is capable of moving or changing shape These movements are usually very slow and cannot even be detected Other times as in the case of an earthquake the movement is sudden violent and catastrophic Earthquakes are dangerous destructive and sometimes deadly They are the result of powerful forces working inside the Earth that can cause the ground to move shake or even break apart 55
