Earthquakes

Páginas: 3 (691 palabras) Publicado: 15 de febrero de 2012
Earthquakes
What is an earthquake?

An earthquake is a disturbance inside the earth. It is when the ground is shaking violently.


Why do earthquakes happen?

Earthquakes happen when thetectonic plates underneath the earth's surface move and get stuck. The energy these plates produce builds up until eventually it needs to be released. And when it is released, it causes an earthquake.How do you measure earthquakes?

Earthquakes are measured on the Richter scale. On the Richter scale, the maximum heights of seismic waves are recorded and compared. The measuring starts 100meters from the epicenter. (The epicenter is the point of the Earth's surface which is directly above the source of the earthquake).



Where are earthquakes likely to strike?

Earthquakes arelikely to strike around the corners of the tectonic plates, especially in places where a plate is forced under another, eg California. 80% of all recorded earthquakes occur around the edge of the PacificPlate, including New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Japan, Canada, USA and South America.



what are seismic waves?

Seismic waves are vibrations that travel through the Earth carrying the energyreleased during earthquakes.

their types

There are several different kinds of seismic waves, and they all move in different ways. The two main types of waves are body waves and surface waves.Body waves can travel through the earth's inner layers, but surface waves can only move along the surface of the planet like ripples on water.
Earthquakes radiate seismic energy as both body andsurface waves.

The first kind of body wave is the P wave or primary wave (or pressure/compressional wave). This is the fastest kind of seismic wave. The P wave can move through solid rock and fluids,like water or the liquid layers of the earth. It pushes and pulls the rock it moves through just like sound waves push and pull the air.

The second type of body wave is the S wave or secondary...
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