CONTENTS

 INTRODUCTION
 OBJECTIVE
 OVERVIEW
 PROCESS OF EARTHQUAKE
 EARTHQUAKE OCCURRENCE IN ETHIOPIA
 EARTHQUAKE EFFECTS
INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS EARTHQUAKE?
EARTHQUAKE
• EARTHQUAKE IS A SUDDEN SHIFTING OF A
MASSES OF ROCK BENEATH EARTH’S
SURFACE.
• THIS MOTION RELEASES ENORMOUS
AMOUNTS OF ENERGY AND SENDS OUT
SHOCK WAVES THAT CAUSE THE GROUND TO
SHAKE.
• GEOLOGISTS BELIEVE THAT NO SPOT IN THE
WORLD IS COMPLETELY SAFE FROM
EARTHQUAKES.
• EARTH HAS BEEN RESOUNDING WITH
EARTHQUAKES FOR MORE THAN 4 BILLION
YEARS.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
 TO UNDERSTAND PROCESS OF EARTHQUAKE
 TO IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF EARTHQUAKE
 TO FIND OUT THE EFFECT OF EARTHQUAKE
 TO EXPLAIN THE MITIGATIONS OF EARTHQUAKE
HAZARD
 EARTHQUAKE HAZARD IN ETHIOPIA.
OVERVIEW

EARTHQUAKE
• A NATURAL VIBRATION OF THE
GROUND OR THE EARTH CRUST
PRODUCED BY FORCES IS CALLED
EARTH QUAKE OR SESMIC FORCES.
• AN EARTH QUAKE IS WHAT HAPENS
WHEN TWO BLOCKS OF EARTH
SUDDENLY SLIPS PAST ONE ANOTHER.
• IS THE MOTION OF THE SURFACE OF THE
EARTH RESULTING FROM A SUDDEN
RELEASE OF ENERGY IN THE EARTH’S
LITHOSPHERE THAT CREATES SEISMIC
WAVES.
 EARTHQUAKE PROCESS

 THE SUDDEN SLIP ON A FAULT. THE TECTONIC PLATES ARE ALWAYS SLOWLY
MOVING, BUT THEY GET STUCK AT THEIR EDGES DUE TO FRICTION. WHEN THE
STRESS ON THE EDGE OVERCOMES THE FRICTION, THERE IS AN EARTHQUAKE
THAT RELEASES ENERGY IN WAVES THAT TRAVEL THROUGH THE EARTH’S CRUST
AND CAUSE THE SHAKING THAT WE FEEL.
• EARTHQUAKE OCCURRENCE
• MOST EARTHQUAKES OCCUR ALONG THE TECTONIC PLATE
BOUNDARIES, ALONG CRACKS IN THE LITHOSPHERE CALLED
FAULTS, OR ALONG THE MID-OCEANIC RIDGES.

• THE EFFECT OF EARTHQUAKE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, THE

FOLLOWING:
 LANDSLIDES
 FIRES
 SOIL LIQUEFACTION
 TSUNAMI
 FLOODS
 HUMAN IMPACTS
AFTERMATH OF AN EARTHQUAKE
• LANDSLIDES:- MASS MOVEMENT OF MATERIAL, SUCH AS ROCK, EARTH OR DEBRIS, DOWN A SLOPE. WHEN
AN EARTHQUAKE OCCURS, THE TRANSMISSION OF SEISMIC WAVES CAN CAUSE SHAKING AND VIBRATION
OF GROUND SURFACE. THIS OFTEN TRIGGER THE COLLAPSE OF POTENTIAL LANDSLIDE AREAS.
• FIRES:- EARTHQUAKE SHAKING CAUSES MOVEMENT OR DAMAGE OF EQUIPMENT AND CONTENTS. THIS
MOVEMENT CAN RESULT IN RELEASED FLAMMABLE GASES OR LIQUIDS AND OTHER COMBUSTIBLE
MATERIAL COMING INTO CONTACT WITH IGNITION SOURCES, SUCH AS OPEN FLAMES OR ELECTRICAL
ARCING.
• SOIL LIQUEFACTION:-TAKES PLACE WHEN LOOSELY PACKED, WATER-LOGGED SEDIMENTS AT OR NEAR THE
GROUND SURFACE LOSE THEIR STRENGTH IN RESPONSE TO STRONG GROUND SHAKING OR EARTHQUAKE.
• TSUNAMI:- AN EARTHQUAKE ALONG A SUBDUCTION ZONE HAPPENS WHEN THE LEADING EDGE OF THE
OVERRIDING PLATE BREAKS FREE AND SPRINGS SEAWARD, RISING THE SEA FLOOR AND THE WATER ABOVE
IT. THIS UPLIFT STARTS A TSUNAMI.
• FLOODS:- HAPPENS WHEN SOFT SOILS ARE ACCOMPANIED BY A HIGH WATER TABLE, EARTHQUAKE
SHAKING MAY TRIGGER SOIL LIQUEFACTION, FLOODING THE AREA WITH SAND AND GROUND WATER
EJECTED TO THE SURFACE. ALSO CAUSED BY LANDSLIDES.
• HUMAN IMPACTS:-EARTHQUAKES WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR AN ESTIMATED 1.87 MILLION DEATHS IN THE
20TH CENTURY. A VARIETY OF STRUCTURES HAVE BEEN DAMAGED BY SURFACE FAULTING CAUSED BY
EARTHQUAKES INCLUDING HOUSES, APARTMENTS, COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS, NURSING HOMES,
RAILROADS, HIGHWAYS, TUNNELS, BRIDGES, CANALS, STORM DRAINS, WATER WELLS, AND WATER, GAS
AND SEWER LINES.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING AN EARTHQUAKE?

DURING AN EARTHQUAKE, ENERGY IS RELEASED:

• – AS MOVEMENT ALONG THE FAULT
• – AS HEAT
• – AS SEISMIC WAVES THAT RADIATE OUT IN ALL DIRECTIONS AND CAUSE
THE GROUND TO SHAKE. WHEN THEY REACH THE SURFACE. THE WORD
“SEISMIC” COMES FROM THE GREEK WORK “SEISMOS”, WHICH MEANS “A
SHAKING”.
MEASURING AN EARTHQUAKE’S
MAGNITUDE (I)

• • THE MAGNITUDE IS A MEASURE OF ENERGY RELEASED BY AN

EARTHQUAKE. THE MAGNITUDE SCALE FIRST DEFINED BY SCIENTIST C.F.
RICHTER HAS BEEN REPLACED BY THE “MOMENT MAGNITUDE SCALE” .
• SCIENTISTS DETERMINE THEMAGNITUDE
BASED ON THEMEASUREMENT OF THE WAVES
FROM EARTHQUAKES RECORDED BY A SEISMOGRAPH.
• THE LARGEST EARTHQUAKE EVER RECORDED BY
SEISMOGRAPHS OCCURRED IN SOUTHERN CHILE
IN MAY, 1960: ITS MAGNITUDE WAS MW = 9.5
EARTHQUAKE OCCURRENCE
• MOST EARTHQUAKES OCCUR ALONG THE TECTONIC PLATE BOUNDARIES, ALONG CRACKS IN THE LITHOSPHERE
CALLED FAULTS, OR ALONG THE MID-OCEANIC RIDGES.
AFTERMATH OF AN EARTHQUAKE
• LANDSLIDES:- MASS MOVEMENT OF MATERIAL, SUCH AS ROCK, EARTH OR DEBRIS, DOWN A SLOPE. WHEN AN
EARTHQUAKE OCCURS, THE TRANSMISSION OF SEISMIC WAVES CAN CAUSE SHAKING AND VIBRATION OF GROUND
SURFACE. THIS OFTEN TRIGGER THE COLLAPSE OF POTENTIAL LANDSLIDE AREAS.
• FIRES:- EARTHQUAKE SHAKING CAUSES MOVEMENT OR DAMAGE OF EQUIPMENT AND CONTENTS. THIS MOVEMENT
CAN RESULT IN RELEASED FLAMMABLE GASES OR LIQUIDS AND OTHER COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL COMING INTO
CONTACT WITH IGNITION SOURCES, SUCH AS OPEN FLAMES OR ELECTRICAL ARCING.
• SOIL LIQUEFACTION:-TAKES PLACE WHEN LOOSELY PACKED, WATER-LOGGED SEDIMENTS AT OR NEAR THE GROUND
SURFACE LOSE THEIR STRENGTH IN RESPONSE TO STRONG GROUND SHAKING OR EARTHQUAKE.
• TSUNAMI:- AN EARTHQUAKE ALONG A SUBDUCTION ZONE HAPPENS WHEN THE LEADING EDGE OF THE OVERRIDING
PLATE BREAKS FREE AND SPRINGS SEAWARD, RISING THE SEA FLOOR AND THE WATER ABOVE IT. THIS UPLIFT STARTS
A TSUNAMI.
• FLOODS:- HAPPENS WHEN SOFT SOILS ARE ACCOMPANIED BY A HIGH WATER TABLE, EARTHQUAKE SHAKING MAY
TRIGGER SOIL LIQUEFACTION, FLOODING THE AREA WITH SAND AND GROUND WATER EJECTED TO THE SURFACE.
ALSO CAUSED BY LANDSLIDES.
• HUMAN IMPACTS:-EARTHQUAKES WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR AN ESTIMATED 1.87 MILLION DEATHS IN THE 20 TH
CENTURY. A VARIETY OF STRUCTURES HAVE BEEN DAMAGED BY SURFACE FAULTING CAUSED BY EARTHQUAKES
INCLUDING HOUSES, APARTMENTS, COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS, NURSING HOMES, RAILROADS, HIGHWAYS, TUNNELS,
BRIDGES, CANALS, STORM DRAINS, WATER WELLS, AND WATER, GAS AND SEWER LINES.
Earthquake hazard in Ethiopia
• In Ethiopia earthquake hazard is classified
as medium according to the information
that is currently available. This means that
there is a 10% chance of potentially-
damaging earthquake shaking in our
project area in the next 50 years. Based on
this information, the impact of earthquake
should be considered in all phases of the
project, in particular during design and
construction. Project planning decisions,
project design, and construction methods
should take into account the level of
earthquake hazard.
EARTHQUAKES OCCURRENCE IN
ETHIOPIA
A TOTAL OF 86 EARTHQUAKES WITH A MAGNITUDE OF FOUR OR ABOVE HAVE STRUCK WITHIN 300 KILOMETERS(186
MILES) OF ETHIOPIA IN THE PAST 10 YEARS. THIS COMES DOWN TO A YEARLY AVERAGE OF 8 EARTHQUAKES PER YEAR.
A RELATIVELY LARGE NUMBER OF EARTHQUAKES OCCURRED NEAR ETHIOPIA IN 2023. A TOTAL OF 27 EARTHQUAKES
(MAGNITUDE ABOVE 4) WERE DETECTED WITHIN 300 KM OF ETHIOPIA THAT YEAR. THE STRONGEST HAD A 5.6
MAGNITUDE.
Magnitude Distribution
The table below visualizes the distribution of all earthquakes that occurred within 300km of Ethiopia in the
past 10 years. No earthquakes with a magnitude of 6 or above have occurred near Ethiopia during this time.
Usually, higher magnitudes are less common than lower magnitudes. Small earthquakes with a magnitude
below 4 on the Richter scale have been omitted from this overview.
The strongest recent earthquake of the past 10
years near Ethiopia occurred on Aug 1, 2023
20:15 local time (Africa/Addis_Ababa timezone).
It had a magnitude of 5.6 and struck 192
kilometers (119 mi) north of Mek'ele, at a depth
of 10 km.

A longer time ago, a MAG-6.5 earthquake struck

on Aug 25, 1906 16:14, 9 kilometers (6 mi) north
of Goba. It is the strongest earthquake near
Ethiopia in the past 123 years (The following data
goes back to January 1st, 1900).

In the table below you will find the strongest

earthquakes that occurred near Ethiopia in the past
10 years. You can use the tabs to find the heaviest
historic earthquakes since the year 1900 or within
a specific year or distance from Ethiopia.
Historic and Most recent earthquakes hazards
- Earthquake in Central Afar March-April 1969
The town of Serdo was completely destroyed. faults,cracks
and
subsidences altered the topography of the site. Twentiy five
people were killed instantaneously and 163 were injured
out
of a population of 420.
- Fifteen died later from injuries.

DATE AND TIME: Mar 29, 1969 12:15 (Africa/Addis_Ababa).

EPICENTER: 11°52'30"N 41°12'29"E
DEPTH: 10 km (6.2 mi)
MAGNITUDE: M6.2
Error ±0.2 (measured by 0 stations).
MAX. MERCALLI INTENSITY: VIII. Destructive
On the 24th January 2016 at 18:34:35.590 UTC
(21:34 local time), an earthquake occurred in the
Hawassa region that was felt up to 100 km away,
including the major towns and cities of Hawassa
(pop. 165 275, [2012]), Shashemene (pop. 122
046, [2012]) and Dila (pop. 79 892, [2012])
(Fantahun, 2016). A series of further tremors
were also reported, causing minor structural
damage in Hawassa as well as scattered power
outages. Although no injuries were reported as a
direct consequence of the event, around 100
students at Hawassa University required
treatment when a stampede ensued as they
tried to flee their dormitories. Some residents
were apprehensive in returning to their homes
and chose to sleep outside in fear of building
collapse.
The earthquake was recorded by both the National Earthquake Information Center
(NEIC) and the Centre Sismologique Euro-Mèditerranéen (CSEM), who both estimated a
body-wave magnitude (mb) of 4.4. The NEIC located the event beneath the city of
Hawassa at 7.088°N±8.8 km, 38.479°E±8.8 km and at a depth of 10 ± 2.0 km below sea
level (National Earthquake Information Center [NEIC], 2016), while the CSEM located it
to the southwest of Corbetti, at 6.98°N±6.6 km, 38.19°E±13.7 km using a fixed depth of
10 km (International Seismological Centre, 2016)

Notable events include the 1921 earthquake that destroyed the port city of Massawa in
Eritrea. In Ethiopia, the 1961 M=6.1 Kara Kore earthquake destroyed the town of
Majete, the 1969 M=6.3 Serdo event resulted in four deaths, and the 1989 M=6.5 Dobi
graben earthquake destroyed several bridges between Assab and Addis Ababa.
conclusion
• Earthquakes shake the ground surface, can cause buildings to collapse, disrupt
transport and services, and can cause fires. They can trigger landslides and tsunami.
• Generally we cannot prevent natural earthquakes from occurring but we can
significantly mitigate their effects by identifying hazards, building safer structures,
and providing education on earthquake safety
• When we design the structures of a certain type of road, tunnel, railway, building
foundation we have to consider the data recorded in order to prevent certain
hazards from occurring after construction(for example:- liquefaction hazards due to
earthquakes, landslides due to earthquakes
• We have to use the appropriate type of materials for foundations of certain
construction buildings in order to withstand the extreme shaking of the earth when
a large magnitude earthquake occurs.