Week 4: Cataclysmic Events

Explain:   I once heard, "Why is it that humans love to build on flood plains and earthquake faults?"  This is so true.  It is almost as if us humans, with out big brains, crave cataclysmic events.  This week as I read through the module, I spent some time thinking about how major geological features such as volcanos, earthquakes and tsunamis influence our culture.  I don't have any first hand knowledge of Alaska Native cultures.  So, I'll look at it from the perspective of the culture in Palmer, Alaska.  On a bigger scale, Americans love to Hollywood-ize these topics with movies such as Volcano, Dante's Peak or Tremors.  As a resident of Palmer for the past discontinuous 26 years, I think or hope, the folks and youth of Palmer are more educated about earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis and the such, simply because we encounter them on a regular basis.  As the module said, these events effect our lives causing road damage and flight cancelations.

The West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center is located in Palmer.  I would hope that all Palmer High graduates have toured this facility.

As I was growing up in Palmer, the 1964 earthquake and tsunami were still fresh in the minds of many residents.  I remember hearing older folks talking,  "Where were you during the quake?" and sharing stories.  Evidence could be seen in many nearby communities such as Portage, Valdez, Seward and even closer to home in Knik Arm.

Damage from 2002 Denali fault earthquake

Extend:  I am not currently teaching earth science, the course that covers these topics, but I have in the past.  I would use the Google Earth measurement tools and marking hot spots activities in earth science.  The images that can be created in Google Earth are amazing and unlimited, allowing for students to focus on a geographic area they are interested in.

Evaluate:  Once again the materials in this module are very usable.  I appreciate that the videos are up to date, not outdated and ancient like most of the free materials I receive.  The topics of this module are captivating to students.  Of course you could spend months on each topic individually, but when time is restricted the materials in this module hit the most important points.