Ms.
Kee Matt D and Reid P
An
earthquake is a large or small shaking in the Earth. It’s a sudden movement of
the Earth, an energy release. This movement of the Earth can be very strong. It
is a dislocation of the Earth’s crust. This “dislocation” takes place on plate
boundaries, where plates move away and towards each other. Sometimes these
small earthquakes are called tremors, or temblors. In
The
shifting of underground plates can make a volcano or an earthquake. Earthquakes
can occur in the middle of two plates. When two plates meet there is a sudden
movement that can make an earthquake.
In the
An earthquake can occur near a
volcano because there is a lot of plate movement. A fault can be a weakness in
a plate that can trigger an earthquake. When new parts of the Earth’s crust are
formed, earthquakes can occur.
Earthquakes can also spawn other
dangerous events. Subduction, a process where one
plate slides beneath another, can also cause an earthquake. If the quake is
underwater, it might also cause a tsunami. A tsunami is a gigantic wall of
water that crashes into the shoreline of a place. Earthquakes usually create
tsunamis. Also tremors can break dams or levees, which can then cause flooding.
They also can make mudslides or landslides. Water mains can get broken. Also
gas pipes can be broken and can then make fires. If water mains are broken,
then it’s impossible to use water to put out the fires. Fires can start when
broken gas pipes or power lines fall down. Power lines can fall on people and
electrocute them. Earthquakes can be very powerful and dangerous. They can
knock down buildings and destroy railroads, roads, bridges, and tunnels.
Tremors can occur where two plates
meet. The space between the two plates is called a fault. Plates, in fact, are
not actually dining plates but gigantic pieces of rock that float on liquid
rock called magma. Plates move very slowly. When two plates meet they will lock
and pressure will build. When they slip they will release the energy and make a
tremor. Tremors can occur in a convergent plate boundary. That’s where two
plates collide and eventually slip. They also can occur in a divergent plate
boundary, where two plates move away from each other. They might occur in a subduction plate boundary, too. That’s where two plates
collide and one goes underneath the other. They will get stuck, then slip, releasing
a lot of energy and causing a tremor. The last place a tremor can occur is in a
transform boundary. Two plates slide past each other grinding the plates and
creating a lot of energy.
Part of the job of a seismologist is
to locate the epicenter of a temblor. The epicenter is the spot on the surface
directly above the focus of the temblor. They also study earthquakes by
measuring them. One way to measure a temblor is to measure its intensity. To measure intensity seismologists use a
machine called a seismograph. A seismograph can record the vertical or
horizontal movements of the earth. The readout created by the seismograph is
called a seismogram. It shows the movement of the ground. Another way to measure a temblor is to
measure its magnitude or strength. Seismologists use the Richter scale to
measure the magnitude. The scale is based on a 1-10 rating. If an earthquake is
small its rating is going to be from 1-4; 5-7 are the ratings for a medium
tremor. A major temblor would be rated from 8-10.
There have been a lot of bad
earthquakes in history. One of them was the 1906,
During a temblor it is best to stay
indoors if possible because temblors can be very dangerous. Buildings, if they
are constructed properly, can provide good protection especially if you stand
in a doorway or are under a table. Those two spots offer good protection
because they cover you and are very strong. Another good thing about staying
inside is that foundations of houses are now being built with rubber in them so
that they sway instead of shatter during a temblor. The rubber is able to
absorb the temblor’s force. It is also handy to have a safety kit around; one
with food, working batteries, unscented bleach, etc. If you are caught outside,
try to get to an open area and be careful to stay away from power lines which
could fall down and electrocute you. A better
warning system would also save lives.
Although tremors destroy a lot and
can be dangerous, they can also be beneficial.
Without earthquakes the land would be flat and swampy. Tremors can cause volcanic activity which
brings minerals to the soil making it fertile.
Tremors also make people have more advanced technologies. They make people try to create efficient
machines to measure earthquakes which create more jobs. One of the best things about earthquakes is
that they make people think more about their safety. Maybe Mother Nature
created earthquakes for a reason. Temblors don’t have to be so bad.
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By:
Matt D and Reid P
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