EARTHQUAKES OCCUR (COMPARED WITH VOLCANOES)?

 Earthquakes are shaking off the ground due to plate movement.

 Earthquakes occur in linear belts along all types of plate boundaries.
 Some earthquakes occur away from plate boundaries, but could be related to plate movements.
 Earthquakes may also occur due to human activities.
 Shield volcanoes (low-viscosity magma) are found along divergent/constructive plate boundaries.
 Stratovolcanoes and cinder cones (high-viscosity magma) are found along convergent /
destructive / subduction plate boundaries.
 Some volcanoes are found near hotspots away from plate boundaries.

WHY DO EARTHQUAKES OCCUR ON PLATE BOUNDARIES?

 Plates slide past each other/converge/diverge on a plate boundary.
 Friction causes the plates to get stuck as they move.
 Pressure (tension) builds up for several years.
 When the pressure is released, it causes a sudden jerk/fracture.
 Vibrations are transmitted to the surface; this creates seismic waves which cause earthquakes.

ACTIVITIES TRIGGER EARTHQUAKES?

 Large dams with deep reservoirs
 Mining leading to subsidence of land
 Underground testing of nuclear weapons
 Heavy vehicles may cause shaking of the ground as they pass

FOCUS AND EPICENTRE

 The point underneath the earth where the earthquake begins is called the focus or hypocentre.
 Shallow-focus earthquakes generally cause more damage than deeper ones.
 The point on the Earth’s surface located directly above the focus is called the epicentre.
 Waves of energy generated from the earthquake are called seismic waves. They travel outwards
from the focus in all directions.
 They decrease in strength as they move away from the epicentre.

There are two scales TO MEASURE THE STRENGTH OF AN EARTHQUAKE.

-Seismometers are instruments that record the intensity of earthquakes on a seismograph.
-Richter Scale
 It is a logarithmic scale that measures the amplitude of seismic waves recorded on a seismograph.
 An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.0 would be ten times stronger than an earthquake with the
magnify tube 5.0.
-Mercalli Scale
 It is a scale that measures earthquakes based on ground movement and things that happen around
an eyewitness.
 It is a simple scale that does not need an instrument.
HAZARDS AND impacts of earthquakes

Why do some people live in areas prone to earthquakes?

 People might work in the area.
 Their children are being educated in the area.
 It would be too expensive to move.
 Earthquakes don’t happen very often.
 They would not be able to sell their houses.
 Population pressure in the area means there is nowhere else to go.
 People are prepared to take the risk.
 They have faith in precautions.
 They have lived there for many years/they were born there.
 They do not want to leave friends and family.
 They are unaware of the risk of earthquakes.

WHY DO EARTHQUAKES CAUSE MORE DAMAGE IN SOME PLACES (LEDCs) THAN OTHERS (MEDCs)?
LEDCs suffer more damages due to:
 Poorer quality of buildings/infrastructure.
 Not built using ‘earthquake proofing’
 Not likely to have planned evacuation procedures/routes.
 And education regarding precautions/about earthquakes, such as drills.
 Poorer level of medical care.
 Lack of finance to rebuild.
 Rescue teams will be poorly prepared and will have to wait for international aid.
 Poor quality roads for rescue.
 Inability to cope with after effects – e.g. lack of food, water, epidemics in shelters, etc.
What can be done to reduce the impact of an earthquake on locals?
 Build ‘earthquake-proof’ buildings with deeper/flexible foundations.
 Stronger/more flexible bridges.
 Pyramid-shaped buildings.
 Shatterproof glass; Reinforced walls.
 Conduct earthquake drills and educate people about what to do in an earthquake.
 Food/water kits or storage/first aid kits/emergency bags must be prepared.
 Leave areas of empty land to use during an evacuation.
 Do not build high-rise buildings.
 Hazard mapping helps determine which areas are most likely to be impacted.
 Avoid building strategic buildings on plate boundaries e.g. hospitals/power stations.
 Improve medical care.
CONSTRUCTION OF EARTHQUAKE RESISTANT HOUSES

WHY DO SOME EARTHQUAKES CAUSE MORE DAMAGE THAN OTHERS?