Answering the Research Question 

As you look at the data, think back to the original research question. Likely, the earthquake data for only one date will not be enough to present a pattern. To get enough data for a pattern to emerge, add earthquake data from other days (try using the birthdates of at least five of your classmates). The more dates you add, the more obvious the pattern becomes. Go back to the USGS webpage (http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/epic/epic_global.html) and submit a search for each new birthdate. For each date, copy and paste the data to a new sheet in your spreadsheet. Then copy the latitude and longitude columns, and paste them at the ends of the latitude and longitude columns in Sheet 1 (your original data). Now create a new scatterplot graph using all of the combined data with the world_map.gif as the background.

As you look at your map, try to answer the following questions:

Are there places where earthquakes occur more frequently?

Why do you think earthquakes tend to occur in some areas and not in others?

Where are earthquakes most common in the United States? (Be sure to consider Hawaii and Alaska.) Where would you live to avoid earthquakes in the United States?


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