Earthquakes

 Tectonic Plates, Earthquakes, and Volcanoes

According to the theory of plate tectonics, Earth is an active planet.

Its surface is composed of many individual plates that move and interact, constantly changing and reshaping Earth's outer layer.

Volcanoes and earthquakes both result from the movement of tectonic plates

1. What is Earthquake? An earthquake is the shaking and vibration of the Earth's crust. They are some of the most powerful natural disasters on earth and a single earthquake can cause billions in damage and cause extensive loss of life.
2. What causes Earthquake? Due to movement of the Earth's plates. They move apart from each other and in other places, they move together. These movements are felt on the surface and they vary in size. Most are too small to be felt by humans and are measured using a sensitive machine called a seismometer. Some earthquakes are large and can cause extensive damage to property and loss of life.
3. How is the power of Earthquake measured? An earthquake's power is measured on the Richter scale using an instrument called a seismometer. It plots these vibrations on a seismograph. The strength, or magnitude, of an earthquake, is measured using the Richter scale. The Richter scale is numbered 0-10.
4. How do you measure the strength of an Earthquake? A seismometer detects the vibrations caused by an earthquake. It is a measure of the largest seismic wave recorded on a particular kind of seismograph located 100 kilometers from the epicenter of the earthquake.
5. List some of the effects of Earthquakes. Earthquakes can destroy houses and kill a lot of people. Aftershocks can cause even more damage to the area. People can be killed or injured. Home’s may be destroyed. Transport and communication links can be disrupted. Water pipes may burst and water supplies might be contaminated. The cost of rebuilding a settlement is high. Investment in the area may be focused only on repairing the damage caused by the earthquake. Money could be lost.

What are the factors that affect the impact of an earthquake? The more densely populated an area, the more likely there are to be deaths and casualties. Time of day influences whether people are in their homes, at work or traveling. A severe earthquake at rush hour in a densely populated urban area could have devastating effects.The time of year and climate will influence survival rates and the rate at which disease can spread.