Student Articles
Natural Disaster: Earthquakes
by Lillian Yared, 4 Grade, Ms. Berard's class
Earthly Earthquakes
What is an earthquake? An earthquake is a natural disaster that is a sudden shaking of the ground or sea underneath the Earth. Earthquakes can be very powerful, but can also be so small it wasn’t even felt. Earthquakes are made when people, places, or things put strain to the Earth. According to Britannica School, the strain builds up on the tectonic plates (which makes up the crust) and makes it hard for the tectonic plates to stay in place. When the tectonic plates can’t resist the strain anymore, the strain pushes the tectonic plates while releasing energy. That is how the Earthquake is made.
Interacting Spheres
f you didn’t know about the Earth’s four systems, well now you will. Earth has four systems, the hydrosphere (which is water), the atmosphere (which is air), the geosphere (which is the ground or land), and the biosphere (which is living things). As an earthquake is and already has been shaking, there are times when the four systems has interacted. For example, while the earthquake is shaking, it is shaking underneath the ground, which is part of the geosphere. The earthquake can hurt parts of the biosphere (people, plants, etc). If it is underground it can cause a tsunami (parts of the hydrosphere) and if it causes a fire smoke can come up to the atmosphere. This is how the four spheres interact.