CLASS VIII - UNIT III, SECOND SEMESTER

 Earthquake: Earthquake is a sudden shaking or trembling of the earth

which lasts for a very short time.
 Earthquakes can cause immense damage to buildings, dams, etc.
 They may also cause floods, land slides, tsunamis and loss of life.
 The point of origin of an earthquake deep inside the Earth’s crust is
known as seismic focus .
 The point on the earth’s crust vertically above the seismic focus is known
as Epicentre .
Continents and Tectonic plates
 The outermost layer of the earth, crust is fragmented . Each fragment is called a tectonic
plate or earth plate.
 Earthquakes are caused due to sudden tectonic movements in the earth’s crust. When
the tectonic plates brush past one another or collide with each other as there is
a relative motion between tectonic plates, there is stress built up, which breaks by
releasing the stored energy known as shock waves.(If this earth’s movement is under the
seawater, it causes an earthquake under the sea which leads to a Tsunami.)

 Tremors on the earth can also be caused due to volcanic eruption or a meteor hitting the
earth.

 Human activities like mining, dam building, or an underground nuclear explosion can
also induce earthquakes.
 Seismic or fault zones: The boundaries of the tectonic plates are the
weak zones where earthquakes are more likely to occur. These weak zones
are known as seismic or fault zones.
 Seismic or fault zones of India: In India, the most threatened areas are
— Kashmir
— Western and central Himalalyas
— The whole of North-East
— Rann of Kutch and the Indo-Gangetic Plane.
— Some areas of south India.
 The tremors caused by the earthquake produce waves on the surface of the
earth. These waves are called seismic waves.
 The Richter scale is a scale of numbers used to tell the power
(or magnitude) of earthquakes. Charles F. Richter developed
the Richter Scale in 1935.
 The Richter scale measures the energy released by an earthquake.It
classifies earthquakes by their effects, from detectable by instruments but
not noticeable, to catastrophic.
 The energy and effects are not necessarily strongly correlated; a shallow
earthquake in a populated area with soil of certain types can be far
more intense in effects than a much more energetic earthquake in
an isolated area.
 Richter scale is not linear. On this scale the vibration of an earthquake
with a magnitude of 2 are 10 times greater in amplitude than those of an
earthquake with magnitude of 1, this is the reason, why the Ritchter scale
is not considered as a linear scale.
 Destructive earthquakes have magnitudes higher than 7 on Richter
Scale.
Seismograph: It is an instrument used to record seismic waves.
 Earthquakes cannot be predicted. So, the buildings in fault zones/seismic
zones should be designed so that they can withstand major tremors.
 Earthquake is one of the major natural disasters. Every year it causes a huge loss
of life and property all around the world. Proper strategies and awareness
about disaster management is the need of the hour. This will protect us from the
losses and help to cope up with these hazards. However, in order to reduce the
destruction caused by these occurrences the disaster management committee
has laid some safety measures.
Protection Against Earthquakes:

 It is advisable to make the structure simple so that it is ‘Quake Safe’.

 Consult qualified architects and structural engineers before any construction.
 In highly seismic areas, the use of mud or timber is better than using heavy
construction material.
 Keep roofs as light as possible. In case the structure falls, the damage will not be heavy.
 It is better if the cupboards and shelves are fixed to the walls, so that they do not fall
easily.
 Be careful where you hang wall clocks, photo-frames, water heaters etc., so that in the
event of an earthquake, they do not fall on people.
 Since some buildings may catch fire due to an earthquake, it is necessary that all
buildings, especially tall buildings, have fire fighting equipment in working order.
 The Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee, has developed knowhow to make
quake-resistant houses.
Precautions
In the event that an earthquake does take place, take the following steps to
protect yourselves :

— If you are at home

— Hide under a table till the shaking stops.
— Do not stand or sit near tall and heavy objects.
— If you are in bed, do not get up. Protect your head with a pillow,
— If you are outdoors
— Drop to the ground - away from buildings, trees and overhead power
lines.
— If you are in a bus, a car or any other covered vehicle, do not come out
till the tremors stop. Ask the driver to drive slowly to a safe place.
Assignment ( to be done in P.C.)
Q.1 Fill in the blanks :
i. Seismic zones are also known as ___________.
iii. The magnitude or intensity of an earthquake is expressed in terms of
__________ which is a non-linear scale.
iv. _________ is a point on earth’s surface directly above the point of origin
of earthquake.
Q.2 State whether following statements are true or false :
i. Seismic focus is a point vertically above the epicentre. ________
ii. A glass rod rubbed with silk acquires negative charge. ________
iii. New Delhi falls in fault zone.
Q3. Give one word for the following :
i. The instrument used to record the seismic waves.
Q.6 Why does an earthquake occur? Give both manmade and natural
reasons.
Q.7 Differentiate between the following:
a) Focus and Epicentre