When the Earth Shakes

Hold on tight! Get ready for earthquakes and tsunamis! Jump on the Quake Karaoke platform and match an earthquake seismogram! Build your structure, set it on a “beach,” and launch a wave in the 16-ft Tsunami Tank! Then replay the impact in slow-mo and improve your design. Complete Puzzled Earth, the plate tectonic puzzle, before time runs out and the pieces fall! Spin through geologic time to make Earth’s continents move and re-form. Be an engineer as you design and build structures to withstand earthquakes on the Shake Table. Find out what engineers do to keep our world safer…When the Earth Shakes!

Designed for a family audience
Funded by National Science Foundation (NSF)
Size: 1,200-1,400 sq.ft.
Rental Fee: $19,500 for 3-1/2+ months (includes on-site technician for set-up)
Shipping: 1 truck

Video

Learning Goals

Earthquakes occur every day.
The Earth’s surface is made up of tectonic plates that are always moving.
Plate tectonic boundaries are different from continental boundaries.
The constant shifting of tectonic plates causes earthquakes and tsunamis.
Many earthquakes are clustered around fault lines.
Earthquake engineers try to lessen the danger of earthquakes by using large-scale equipment to test and make our world safer.
You can match a seismogram by jumping on a platform. Refine your jumps and improve your score.
You can be an engineer as you build, test, and improve your designs:
- Build a structure and test it on the Shake Table to see if stands up. Then improve your design to make it more earthquake-resistant.
- Build a different structure, set it on the “beach” in the Tsunami Tank, and unleash a powerful wave. Replay the impact in slow-motion, and then improve your design to withstand even more powerful waves.