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Wednesday, August 5, 2009

The conference with Hamish Campbell



In the morning the whole extension class had a video conference with a famous Geologist named Hamish Campbell. We were talking to him about the earthquake that happened in Fiordland this year. To prepare for our conference with Hamish Campbell, we made Seismometer.

He told us that it happened at 9pm and it was the 16th of July. On the north island the Pacific plate was going underneath the Australian plate , but on the south island the Australian plate was heading underneath the Pacific Plate. It lasted 30 seconds and no one was killed, but it was measured by a Seismometer and it was measured 7.6 magnitude , the biggest earthquake worldwide in 80 years.

Speaking of earthquakes i am going to tell you about an earthquake that happened in China in the city of Tangshan in the year of 1976. It lasted 15 seconds and it killed 242,000 and around 50, 000 people were injured. It was recorded as 7.8 magnitude. The reason that so many people die in earthquakes because are really because are really dangerous because they happen so fast and they do not have warnings like for e.g Volcanoes , Tornadoes and all kinds of disasters have warnings.


The facts that I mostly like is when Hamish Campbell told us that in the earthquake was felt in New Plymouth. Another that I want you to know about is that the Plates that are covering New Zealand are not in a circle shape they are in any different shape.

Last term we were learning about Dinosaurs and Joan Wiffen was part of our important project but just today Hamish just told us that she past away. She past away on Tuesday at the Hastings Hospital.

Thank you to Diana Grace and the Te Papa Museum. Huge thanks to Hamish Campbell.
To find out more try clicking on any of these links:

Glossary:
Seismometer: A Seismometer is a instrument that records the intensity of an earthquake.


3 comments:

  1. Hello Selena. A great post Selena with all the correct details to help your readers understand how sudden and dangerous earthquakes can be. Our planet is amazing isn't it - plates crashing, diving, rising...
    I've enjoyed reading your post Selena. I like the glossary part your started at the end. Maybe you could add a few more of the terms we learnt.
    Keep up the good work Selena
    Mrs Tele'a

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  2. Hi Selena, This is a VERY detailed account you have shared of your learning through the video conference and the activities you carried out in extension. I think the students at Pt England are very fortunate to have teachers who give you these opportunities AND the technolgy equipment that allows you to access them and share your learning.
    I loved seeing the simple technology you constructed with a box and styrofoam cup as well.
    And congratulations on being the blog post show cased on Room 15's blog too...
    Mrs Burt

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  3. Hi Selena

    What a great post. I really liked it how you took us to other websites by hyperlinking them. What a great Idea. It was very sad how you said in Tangshan there was an earthquake and 242, 000 people died in 15 seconds. You might want to come to my blog and have a check on how well I am doing. Please comment on my blog. This will lead you to my blog http://pesmubasshiram.blogspot.com/ .

    Thank you
    Mubasshira

    ReplyDelete

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