Earthquakes
What is an earthquake?
How are earthquakes hazardous to humans, and why should they be a concern to us?
When the plates shake due to collision, the shock waves are extremely powerful. The shock waves are hazardous to humans due to the fact that they can be powerful enough to alter the Earth’s surface by thrusting up cliffs and also opening up huge cracks in the ground. When shock waves are powerful enough to alter the Earth’s surface, concerning hazards include the collapsing of man-made structures such as tall buildings, destructing power and gas lines which can lead to fires, landslides, snow avalanches, and tsunamis. All of these are a concern to the well being of people and property in the area.
What regions are most vulnerable to earthquakes?
Measurement of Earthquakes
Examples of Earthquakes
On March 11, 2011, a deadly earthquake hit Japan. It was measured to have a magnitude of 9, and it was the trigger of a massive tsunami. It began at 2:46 pm and lasted six minutes. The shaking centered on the seafloor 45 miles east of the Japanese Island, Tohoku. The number of confirmed deaths is 15,891, meanwhile 2,500 people are still reported missing. Along with horrible sadness and destruction for the people of Japan, it altered the land significantly. Two examples of the alteration of the land are the facts that 250 miles of Japan's northern Honshu coastline dropped by 2 feet, and Japan's main island of Honshu was moved eastward by 8 feet. Not a day goes by that the Japanese don’t remember this horrific event. A more recent earthquake with the magnitude of 8.1 occurred in Nepal on April 25th, 2015. The natural disaster took more than 8,000 lives and left more than 21,000 injured. The city of Kathmandu received the most destruction, but the disaster was felt in all surrounding areas where many people were sadly left homeless.
How to protect yourself from earthquakes
Sources
http://www.skymetweather.com/content/earth-and-nature/10-earthquake-prone-countries-in-the-world/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/natural_hazards/earthquakes_rev2.shtml
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https://www.fema.gov/earthquake-safety-home
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/eqscience.php
http://silverspringag.org/nepal-earthquake-teenage-boy-rescued-after-five-days/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_2015_Nepal_earthquake
http://www.vtaide.com/png/George/earthquake.htm
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http://eschooltoday.com/natural-disasters/earthquakes/what-is-an-earthquake.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Coast_of_the_United_States
http://www.bayareacouncil.org/china/bay-area-council-announces-first-india-trade-mission/
http://www.sms-tsunami-warning.com/pages/richter-scale#.VrEXjRgrIxc