Typical Changes in Mt. Everest
Every year Mt. Everest grows 6-7cm taller and moves 4cm Northeast.
Changes in Mt. Everest after the 2015 earthquake
Mt. Everest moved backwards 3cm to the southwest
Seismic Explorer Patterns
We noticed in the seismic explorer that earthquakes usually occur near mountain ranges, in clusters/groups or in lines and near coastlines or bodies of water
Seismic Explorer Patterns- short time periods vs. long time periods
It is easier to see patterns in earthquakes when we look over a longer period of time (years). When we just look at data from a short period of time (one month or so) we might not see many earthquakes or not see patterns.
tectonic plates
large pieces of the Earth's crust that the Earth is broken up into
GPS sensors
allow us to determine the speed and direction that tectonic plates are moving. Sensors were also located all over Mt. Everest that allowed scientists to track the changes in height and movement of Everest.
Two plates near Mt. Everest
The two plates that share a boundary closest to Mt. Everest are the Indian plate and the Eurasian plate (refer to your map on lesson 2 page 3 in your NB)
Speed and Direction of Plates near Mt. Everest
The plates at Mt. Everest are moving towards each other and at different speeds. The Indian plate is moving N at about 55 mm/yr and the Eurasian plate is moving SW at about 29 mm/yr
Movement at Plate Boundaries
Plates can either move towards each other or away from each other and can move at different speeds
magnitude
the strength of an earthquake. This was shown by the size of the circle on the seismic explorer. The bigger the circle, the larger magnitude earthquake
depth
how deep the earthquake originated into the earth was shown by the color of the circle in the seismic explorer. Red circles were the most shallow while blue circles were the deepest earthquakes