• An Earthquake is a sudden shaking on the earth’s surface caused by rock breakage deep within the earth.

• There are different type’s of earthquake’s depending on the part of the world in where they occur.

• Any part of Australia can experience an earthquake. There is no accepted method to predict earthquakes however some regions are more earthquake-prone than others

Three Tremors in One Day  • The other day, a magnitude-3.1 quake hit at 3:24 PM followed by a

magnitude-3.2 nine minutes later. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, these were about 2.8 miles from where I live, so basically I am sitting on the epicenter, on the San Andreas Fault! Then again at around 6:30 PM, another one hit, this one a 4.3 magnitude. Although it was reported these were minor quakes, I can guarantee you they didn't feel that way. The first one woke me from a dead sleep and scared me to death. The second one was like a sonic boom inside the house, and the third one was like a giant picked up my house and rattled the whole thing, at the same time banging on all the windows.

The last one scared me the most, and about an hour later I remembered I had written something about being prepared for an evacuation. So I went in and packed a bag. I also took 2 irreplaceable items from my grandmother and put these in the trunk of my car after backing it into the driveway for an easy exit if needed. For the next two hours, I followed everything that I knew to do including going to the ATM machine and getting some cash out and getting my dog's vaccination record. I want to be prepared if another one hit that night. We never know when they will hit.

• Earthquakes can cause major Shaking, landslides, Liquefaction, and even tsunami's

• The 2010 Chilean earthquake occurred off the coast of the Maule Region of Chile on February 27, 2010, at 03:34 local time (06:34 UTC), rating a magnitude of 8.8 on the moment magnitude scale and lasting 90 seconds.

It was strongly perceived in six Chilean regions (from Valparaíso Region in the north to Araucanía Region in the south), that together make up 80% of the country's population.

• The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 M The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.

By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks measuring 4.5 or greater had been recorded.[6] As of 12 February 2010, an estimated three million people were affected by the quake;[7] the Haitian Government reports that between 217,000 and 230,000 people had been identified as dead, an estimated 300,000 injured, and an estimated 1,000,000 homeless

• Stress in the earth's outer layer cause a pushing effect against the sides of the fault. Due to this motion, rocks slip or collide against each other releasing energy. This released energy travels in waves through the earth's crust and causes the shaking that we feel during an earthquake. Eventually, the strain along the fault becomes too much. The fault then ruptures with a sudden movement releasing all the energy it has built up. This energy is released in the form of vibrations called 'seismic waves'. When these seismic waves reach

the surface of the earth, they give rise to strong ground motion causing building and other man-made structures to shake or collapse or develop cracks and fissures.

Earthquakes can also cause landslides, sudden eruptions as in the case of a hot lava flow from a volcano or giant waves called tsunamis.

• Earthquakes are unpredictable and can occur at any time.

• There is at least one earthquake that occurs somewhere in the world each day. Some can be slight tremors that can hardly be felt, while others can be much stronger.

• Earthquakes happen because the Earth’s tectonic plates are always moving and floating on molten rock. An earthquakes can last from a few seconds to a few minutes, which can be followed by after-shocks.

• Name one thing an earthquake can cause!

• Can any part of Australia experience an earthquake.

• Where do earthquakes occur?

• What do you call the scale that is used to measure earthquakes?

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