Engineering Geology

Assignment No. 2
The earth has four major layers: the inner core, outer core, mantle and crust. The crust and the top of the
mantle make up a thin skin on the surface of our planet( it is made up of many pieces like a puzzle
covering the surface of the earth). These puzzle pieces keep slowly moving around, sliding past one
another and bumping into each other. We call these pieces tectonic plates, and the edges of the plates are
called the plate boundaries. The plate boundaries are made up of many faults, and most of the
earthquakes around the world occur on these faults. Since the edges of the plates are rough, they get stuck
while the rest of the plate keeps moving. Finally, when the plate has moved far enough, the edges unstick
on one of the faults and there is an earthquake.

How Disasters are caused by earthquake?

Volcano Eruptions
Earthquakes may trigger volcanic eruptions, very large earthquakes trigger activity in nearby volcanoes. It
is said that seismic waves coming from earthquakes cause disturbances in the molten rock beneath
volcanoes, making them active.
Land Slides
When the Earth moves during an earthquake, a landslide or avalanche can occur. Any area that has the
right conditions, including moisture and the angle of the slope, can potentially experience these natural
disasters. When the Earth shakes, debris, soil or snow on a hilltop or mountainside has the potential of
sliding.
Tsunamis
Both strong and weak earthquakes have the ability to cause tsunamis. When earthquakes rattle the sea
floor, water is displaced and waves form. These waves can be large enough to be considered tsunamis.
Tsunamis not only devastate the coastal area in the region where the actual earthquake occurred, but can
also cause damage on coasts thousands of miles away.
Floodings

Earthquakes can cause flooding in several ways. Clearly, a tsunami can cause flooding in areas
where the wave hits inland. Broken dams and levees on rivers can also cause flooding. These
structures hold water in, but when an earthquake occurs, the integrity of the structure may be
damaged, and the water could potentially flood nearby lowland areas.