What Is an Earthquake?: Recurrence Interval

Abstract

This activity consists of two exercises on determining recurrence interval; one, a hypothetical example, and the other, using real data from the San Andreas Fault. They provide the learner with a good idea of how valuable the concept can be in assessing earthquake hazards, and of a few of the problems associated with determining and correctly applying recurrence intervals in fault studies. The learner is familiarized with the concept of recurrence interval, and several different ways to determine this value for a given fault. There is also a graphing exercise that looks at real-world data from studies made on the San Andreas fault. Educational levels: Middle school, High school, Undergraduate lower division