squadron
a unit of the air force that comprises a certain number of aircraft and their crew members
stabilize
to make steady or firm in place
chopper
helicopter
equivalent
identical or in similarity to
Richter Scale
a scale based off seismographic oscillations, used to express the magnitude of an earthquake
spawned
led to or created
demarcation
a diving line between things or areas
seismologists
scientists who study the geophysics of earthquakes and related phenomena
tectonic plates
plates in the earth's lithosphere (crust and upper mantle) that can shift, bringing about seismic activity
devastation
ruin and destruction
anomaly
a deviation or abnormality
precursor
something that precedes and predicts the arrival of other events
magnitude
numerical value or quantity
earthquake
sudden violent shaking of the ground caused by movement in the earth's crust or volcanic rumbling
fault line
a line that traces an extended break in a body of rock
Caltech
common name for the California Institute of Technology, a research university ranked among the best in the world
San Andreas Fault
a fault line that extends through coastal California
natural disaster
a naturally occurring event that causes widespread loss of life and damage
thriller
a film, novel, or play with an exciting plot
maneuver
movement requiring care and planning
