Earthqu
akes
Nature of
earthquakes
Earthquakes are sudden ground
movements caused by the release of
energy stored in the Earth's crust. This
energy is released in the form of
seismic waves, which travel through
the Earth and cause the ground to
shake.
Elastic rebound theory. Stresses
build on both sides of a fault,
causing the rocks to deform
plastically. When the stresses
become too great, the rocks break
and end up in a different location.
This releases the built up energy
and creates an earthquake.
In an earthquake, the initial point where the
rocks rupture in the crust is called the focus.
The epicenter is the point on the land surface
that is directly above the focus. In about 75% of
earthquakes, the focus is in the top 10 to 15
kilometers (6 to 9 miles) of the crust. Shallow
earthquakes cause the most damage because
the focus is near where people live.
Earthquake Zones
Nearly 95% of all earthquakes
take place along one of the three
types of plate boundaries, but
earthquakes do occur along all
three types of plate boundaries.
There are three main types of plate boundaries
where earthquakes occur:
•Divergent Boundaries
•Convergent Boundaries
•Transform Boundaries
Earthquakes are measured using a standardized
scale known as the Richter scale, which
quantifies the magnitude or size of an
Earthquakes can have a significant impact on
both humans and the environment. They can
cause damage to buildings, infrastructure, and
the landscape. They can also lead to landslides,
tsunamis, and in some cases, loss of life.
The impact of an earthquake depends on
several factors, including its magnitude,
location, and the vulnerability of the affected
area.
Here's a breakdown of the damage caused by
earthquakes:
°Primary Damage° °Secondary Damage°
•Ground Shaking •Tsunamis
•Ground Rupture •Fire
•Landslides • Disease Outbreaks
•Liquefaction
Economic and Social Impacts
•Economic Loss: Earthquakes can cause
massive economic losses due to damage to
infrastructure, businesses, and property.
Rebuilding efforts can take years and strain local
economies.
•Social Disruption: Earthquakes can displace
people from their homes, disrupt communities,
and cause psychological trauma. Recovery
efforts can be long and challenging, especially
Mitigation and
Preparedness
While earthquakes cannot be prevented, there are
steps that can be taken to mitigate their impact and
prepare for them:
•BUILDING CODES.
•EARLY WARNING CODES
• DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
Than
k
you!
