Something creepy is happening

In this activity, students explore tectonic movements called slow slips. They plot and interpret a graph using data from an actual event in New Zealand.

Slow slip events can be tricky for students to understand as they involve very small movements, but they are a great extension study for students who have an understanding of the more well known form of earthquakes.

By the end of this activity, students should be able to:

• understand the difference between earthquakes and slow slips

• plot and interpret data on a line graph

• explain a scientific application of GPS technology.

Download the Word file (see link below) for:

• introduction/background notes

• what you need

• what to do

• discussion questions

• student handout.