 Earthquake also known as quake , tremor or temblor is the

phenomenon where there is a sudden release of extreme

energy from the earth crust resulting in shaking and
displacement of the ground along with the creation of
sesmic waves.

 If the Epicenter of a larger earthquake is situated in the

offsore (sea/ocean) seabed may be displaced sufficiently to
cause Tsunami.

 It also triggers land

slides and occassionally
volcanic eruptions.
 Dr. H.F.Reid, who studied the effects of the great San Francisco
earthquake of 1906, came out with the elastic rebound theory.
 According to this theory we should not regard earthquakes as a sudden
abnormal happening but as an effort by the earth to return to normal
after it has been slowly strained over a long period of time.
 The weak line upon which the earth returns to normal is called the fault
line.
 Because of the elasticity the earth comes to equilibrium after oscillating
for some time. This explains the after-shocks.
 Types of Earthquakes
The different types of earthquakes.
1. The ones caused by the underground movement of the magma in volcanoes.
These are sometimes very severe but the affected area is quite limited.
2. The ones caused by collapse of subterranean spaces beneath extinct volcanoes.
These are seldom severe, and in any case they are local.
3. The ones caused by rock falls within the earth’s crust into voids. These
earthquakes are never felt or even recorded beyond a small local area.
4. All great earthquakes are caused by movements in the earth varying between
less than 10 and up to 1000 kilometers below the surface. These are called
tectonic earthquakes thousands of cubic kilometres of rock strain against each
other along a fault line. This sends a shiver through the entire globe. The shock
in the immediate area rarely lasts for more than a minute generally for only a
few seconds, but milder after-shocks may continue on and off for weeks or even
months.
5. Impounding of water has recently been discovered as a cause. Several instances
of increased seismic activity following the impounding of water by
reservoirs/damns have been observed and investigated in the recent past.
 Earthquake shaking may cause loss of life and destruction
of property.

 In a strong earthquake the ground shakes violently.

 Buildings may fall

or sink into the soil.
Rocks and soil may
move downhill at a
rapid rate.

 Such landslides can

bury houses and
people.
 Earthquake = Vibration of the Earth produced
by the rapid release of energy

 Seismic waves = Energy moving outward from the

focus of an earthquake
 Focus= location of initial slip on the fault;
where
the earthquake origins

 Epicenter= spot on Earth’s

surface directly above the
focus

epicenter focus
 Geological Faults.

 Volcanic Eruptions.

 Mine Blasts.

 Nuclear Tests.
 A fault is a planar fracture or discontinuity in
a volume of rock, across which there has
been significant displacement.

 There are three main types of faults, namely

a) Normal Fault.
b)Thrust Fault.
c)Strike Slip Fault.
•A normal fault occurs
when the crust is
extended. The hanging
wall moves downward
relative to the footwall
•A thrust fault occurs
when the crust is
compressed. The
hanging wall moves
upward relative to the
footwall
 The fault surface is usually
near vertical and motion
results from shearing forces
 Based on Magnitude:
MAGNITUDE CLASSIFICATION
M ≥ 8.0 Great Earthquake

7.0 ≥ M < 8.0 Major / Large Earthquake

5.0 ≥ M < 7.0 Moderate Earthquake

3.0 ≥ M < 5.0 Small Earthquake

1.0 ≥ M < 3.0 Microearthquake

M < 1.0 Ultra Microearthquake

 CLASSIFICATION DISTANCE

Teleseismic Earthquake > 1000 km

Regional Earthquake > 500 km

Local Earthquake < 500 km

Primary Earthquake Hazards: Rapid Ground
Shaking

Structural Buckled roads and rail tracks

Damage
Landslides Avalanches
Alterations to Water Courses Fire resulting from an
earthquake
Seismic sea waves; "tidal" waves - can grow up to
65 m.
 Seismometers: instruments
that detect seismic waves.

 Seismographs:Record
intensity, height and
amplitude of seismic
waves
1. Magnitude: Richter Scale
a) Measures the energy released by fault movement.

b) Logarithmic-scale; quantitative measure.

2) Intensity: Mercalli Scale:
What did you feel?
 Assigns an intensity or rating to measure an
earthquake at a particular location (qualitative)
 Measures the destructive effect
 Intensity is a function of:
 Energy released by fault
 Geology of the location
 Surface substrate: can magnify shock waves
 Identification of Faultlines:

New Madrid, Tennessee San Andreas Faultline

 Remote Seismograph Positioning.
 Scientists consider seismic activity as it
is registered on a seismometer.
 A volcano will usually register some small
earthquakes as the magma pushes its way up
through cracks and vents in rocks.
 As a volcano gets closer to
erupting, the pressure
builds up in the earth
under the volcano and
the earthquake activity
becomes more and more
frequent
 Analog Image:
 This is an image of an analog recording of

an earthquake. The relatively flat lines

are periods of quiescence and the large
and squiggly line is an earthquake.
 Digital Seismogram.

Below is a digital seismogram. The data
is stored electronically, easy to access and
manipulate, and much more accurate and
detailed than the analog recordings.
 Tiltmeter:

Tilt meters attached to the sides of a
volcano detect small changes in the slope of
a volcano.
 When a volcano is about to erupt, the earth

may bulge or swell up a bit.

Installing a
tiltmeter
 Changes in Groundwater Levels.
 Hydro geological responses to large distant
earthquakes have important scientific implications
with regard to our earth’s intricate plumbing
system.
 Improves our insights into the

responsible mechanisms, and

may improve our frustratingly
imprecise ability to forecast
the timing, magnitude, and
impact of earthquakes.
 Observations of Strange Behaviors in Animals.
The cause of unusual animal behavior seconds
before humans feel an earthquake can be easily
explain-ed.
 Very few humans notice the smaller P wave that

travels the fastest from the earthquake source and

arrives before the larger S wave.
 But many animals with more keen senses are able

to feel the P wave seconds before the S wave

arrives.
indeed it’s possible that some animals could sense
these signals and connect the perception with an
impending earthquake.
 Primary Waves:
◦ called compressional, or push-pull waves.

◦ Propagate parralel to the direction in which the

wave is moving.

◦ Move through solids, liquids

 Secondary Waves
◦ Called shear waves.
(S);
◦ Propagate the movement perpendicular
to the direction in which the wave is
moving.
 Surface Waves:

◦ Complex motion.

◦ Up-and-down and side-to-side.

◦ Slowest.

◦ Most damage to structures, buildings .

 Points to remember during earthquakes:
1) Do not panic. Unless something falls on you, it is
harmless.
2) The safest place is an open area away from buildings.
3) If you are caught indoors, stay indoors. Take cover under
a table, desk in doorways at the corner of rooms, against
inside walls; but stay away from glass panes.
4) Do not use candles, matches of open flame. Put out all
fires.
5) If the earthquake catches you outdoors, move away from
buildings and utility wires, such as overhead electric wires.
Stay there till the tremors stop.
6) Do not run through or near buildings. The greatest danger
from falling debris is just outside doorways and close to
outer walls.
7) If you are in a moving vehicle, stop as quickly as possible
but stay in it till the earthquake stops.
 Earthquake prone regions in India
 About half of India’s total area of 3.3 million sq.km. falls in
the seismic zone.
 This is even larger than the seismic areas of Japan and
U.S.A. (California) put together.
 The most earthquake-prone areas stretch along the
Himalayan belt from Assam to Kashmir, Nagaland,
Manipur, Mizoram and the Kutch region of Gujarat.
 The peninsular Shield of India was, until recently,
considered to be earthquake free (non-seismic) but the
devastating earthquake of Lattur has exploded the myth.
 Seismic activity has also been noticed along the Narmada,
Shona and Godavari rivers and sometimes over the
Eastern and Western Ghats
 Major Earthquakes in India

The 1993 Lattur earthquake left over 10000 dead and

destroyed 200.000 houses. However the technically much
more powerful earthquake in 1971 in Los Angeles (California)
left only 55 dead