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| An '''earthquake''' is a trembling or shaking movement of a planet's surface. Earthquakes typically result from the movement of continental and oceanic plates, as described by ]. Pressures are built up along the boundaries of these plates in regions called '''faults''' until this pressure is released by a slippage of the plates some distance. The resulting release of energy creates ]s. | An '''earthquake''' is a trembling or shaking movement of a planet's surface. Earthquakes typically result from the movement of continental and oceanic plates, as described by ]. Pressures are built up along the boundaries of these plates in regions called '''faults''' until this pressure is released by a slippage of the plates some distance. The resulting release of energy creates ]s. | ||
| Earthquakes occur every day on ], however the vast majority of them are minor and cause no damage. Large earthquakes can cause serious destruction and massive loss of life. Large earthquakes usually have a substantial initial tremor, followed by numerous aftershocks (smaller tremors). The underground point of origin of an earthquake is called its "focus" and the location on the surface directly above the focus is the |
Earthquakes occur every day on ], however, the vast majority of them are minor and cause no damage. Large earthquakes can cause serious destruction and massive loss of life. Large earthquakes usually have a substantial initial tremor, followed by numerous aftershocks (smaller tremors). The underground point of origin of an earthquake is called its "focus" and the location on the surface directly above the focus is the "epicenter." | ||
| The magnitude and intensity of an earthquake used to be |
The magnitude and intensity of an earthquake used to be quantified on the ], but now multiple scales are used. The scale reported to the public is so close to the Richter scale that seismologists do not bother to explain the difference. | ||
| Some earthquakes are caused by the movement of magma in ]es, and such quakes can be an early warning of volcanic eruptions. A rare few earthquakes are caused by the build-up of large masses of water behind ]s, such as the ]. | Some earthquakes are caused by the movement of magma in ]es, and such quakes can be an early warning of volcanic eruptions. A rare few earthquakes are caused by the build-up of large masses of water behind ]s, such as the ] in ], ]. | ||
| See also: ], ], ], ] | See also: ], ], ], ] | ||
Revision as of 22:11, 9 November 2002
An earthquake is a trembling or shaking movement of a planet's surface. Earthquakes typically result from the movement of continental and oceanic plates, as described by plate tectonics. Pressures are built up along the boundaries of these plates in regions called faults until this pressure is released by a slippage of the plates some distance. The resulting release of energy creates seismic waves.
Earthquakes occur every day on Earth, however, the vast majority of them are minor and cause no damage. Large earthquakes can cause serious destruction and massive loss of life. Large earthquakes usually have a substantial initial tremor, followed by numerous aftershocks (smaller tremors). The underground point of origin of an earthquake is called its "focus" and the location on the surface directly above the focus is the "epicenter."
The magnitude and intensity of an earthquake used to be quantified on the Richter scale, but now multiple scales are used. The scale reported to the public is so close to the Richter scale that seismologists do not bother to explain the difference.
Some earthquakes are caused by the movement of magma in volcanoes, and such quakes can be an early warning of volcanic eruptions. A rare few earthquakes are caused by the build-up of large masses of water behind dams, such as the Kariba Dam in Zambia, Africa.
See also: List of earthquakes, San Andreas Fault, seismology, New Madrid Fault Zone
External link
An interesting technique for looking at and understanding earthquake data is to use the 3D presentation system called the GeoWall. Go to http://www.geowall.org for more information.