Geohazards: Earthquakes
By: Rebekah Byrd
Earthquakes: What Happens? Hazardous?
-caused when rocks break due to the stress caused by movement of the tectonic plates that make up the outer layer of the Earth
-causes roads and flooring to split, even buildings split into two or more pieces
-causes roads and flooring to split, even buildings split into two or more pieces
-can injure many people
-tremendously destructive
-occur by the thousands every day around the world, but you can't feel all of them
-most occur at fault zones
-can occur at any moment
Measuring Earthquakes:
Earthquakes are measured by the Richter scale. The Richter magnitude scale was developed in 1935 by Charles F. Richter of the California Institute of Technology as a mathematical device to compare the size of earthquakes. They are measured by the strength of the shock. Under a 3.0 is considered a minor earthquake, 4.0-7.0 is moderate, and 7.0-9.0 is considered strong or great.
Past Earthquakes:
There have been quite a few earthquakes including the earthquake in Nepal in April 2015. The Nepal earthquake killed over 8,000 people and injured more than 21,000. It occurred at 11:56 Nepal Standard Time on 25 April, with a magnitude of 7.8Mw or 8.1M. On January 12, 2010 an earthquake occurred in Haiti, with a magnitude of 7.0, killing anywhere from 100,000 to about 160,000 people. By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks measuring 4.5 or greater had been recorded.
Vulnerable Regions:
Earthquakes can happen anywhere, so be prepared! Earthquakes most commonly occur along plate edges, especially in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Washington, and other states like that. To be prepared you need to make sure that dangerous objects and glass in you house is secure to the floor and/or walls. Also, make sure you have a safe room in your house to go to in case of an earthquake.
Be Prepared!
Three ways you can make sure you are prepared and protected before or during an earthquake are to make sure that everything in your home is securely placed and that heavy thing are nailed into the wall or floor, have a safe room that everyone in you house can safely fit into, and take cover under a sturdy piece of furniture.