INTERACTIVE APPROACHES TO EARTHQUAKE EDUCATION: RESOURCES AND STRATEGIES FROM SHAKEALERT® EARTHQUAKE EARLY WARNING

In spring of 2021, the ShakeAlert® Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) system expanded from California into Oregon and Washington, making public alerting available in all three West Coast states. Operated by the US Geological Survey (USGS), ShakeAlert works by a) detecting the initial waves from an earthquake, b) rapidly estimating the earthquake’s magnitude, intensity, and geographic location, and c) sharing that information with delivery partners, who send alerts to mobile devices and automated systems, giving people critical seconds to prepare for shaking. ShakeAlert has the potential to protect lives, property, and infrastructure in the earthquake-prone West Coast of the United States. With this new technology, though, comes the need to educate residents both inside and outside the classroom. With a basic understanding of earthquake science, adults and youth are better able to take advantage of ShakeAlert technology and protect themselves in the event of an earthquake. Informal science education (ISE) institutions (museums, etc.) serve as trusted sources of information in their communities and reach broad and diverse audiences, and can thus play a key role in engaging the public to promote understanding of socially relevant science topics, like EEW. In this presentation, educators from the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), in partnership with the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS), will share approaches, strategies, and specific activities designed to engage learners and address key topics related to earthquake science and ShakeAlert technology. In part one of the session, participants will engage in interactive and reflective activities empowering them to understand and utilize principles of ISE, including: interactivity, flexibility, multicultural inclusivity, and assets-based approaches. In part two, participants will engage in multiple, hands-on demonstrations related to earthquake science and learn how to use and/or adapt these activities in their own formal or informal learning environments.