The science of Earthquakes

By Advik The science of Earthquakes

Where do Earthquakes usually happen?Fault Lines around the Worldsuch as the San Andreas fault inCalifornia and the Ring of fire that runs through the pacific ocean

How often do Earthquakes HappenT100 Earthquakes that can damage objects happen every year100,000 Earthquakes are felt every year1 8.0 or above level earthquake happens a yearNatural Structures InvolvedThe Earth and The Tectonic Plates of the Earth rubbing side to side

What usually HappensUsually it is a small earthquake which no one feels and daily life resumes.these happen a lot of times a day.

Extreme ScenariosCities and Countries can get totaled Power outages are common in big earthquakesThe most recent of these would be the Japan 2011 Earthquake/TsunamiThis video is an earthquake in Turkey in 2011

How are Earthquakes MeasuredThe Richter Scale measures seismic waves and represents them on a logarithmic scale which determines how strong an earthquake is.Here is the scale found on Scholastic9.0 and above Causes complete devastation and large-scale loss of life.8.0 Very few buildings stay up. Bridges fall down. Underground pipes burst. Railroad rails bend. Large rocks move. Smaller objects are tossed into the air. Some objects are swallowed up by the earth.7.0 It is hard to keep your balance. The ground cracks. Roads shake. Weak buildings fall down. Other buildings are badly damaged.6.0 Pictures can fall off walls. Furniture moves. In some buildings, walls may crack.5.0 If you are in a car, it may rock. Glasses and dishes may rattle. Windows may break.4.0 Buildings shake a little. It feels like a truck is passing by your house.3.0 You may notice this quake if you are sitting still, or upstairs in a house. A hanging object, like a model airplane, may swing.2.0 Trees sway. Small ponds ripple. Doors swing slowly. But you can't tell that an earthquake is to blame.1.0 Earthquakes this small happen below ground. You can't feel them.

After AffectsCommon after effects of earthquakes are more small earthquakes, avalanches, landslides, and tsunamis.

Key Termsaftershock:ground shaking that occurs after the main shock of an earthquake.epicenter:the point on Earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake, where seismic waves first appear.fault:crack in Earth's surface where two plates or sections of the crust push and slide in opposite directions against one another.foreshock:ground shaking that occurs before the main shock of an earthquake.magnitude:the power of an earthquake, as recorded by a seismograph, or seismometer.Richter scale:scale developed by American seismologist Charles Richter that describes the amount of energy released by an earthquake.seismic waves:vibrations that move outward from the focus of an earthquake, causing the ground to shake.seismograph:instrument used to detect and measure seismic waves. Also known as a seismometer.Key ScientistsCharles Richter, an American seismologist who made the current scale for measuring earthquakes, The Richter Scale Giuseppe Mercalli, an Italian seismologist which made a less common scale called a Mercalli scale which measured quakes by actual damage and how much it was felt by humans

Moment MagnitudeTypical MaximumModified Mercalli Intensity1.0 3.0I3.0 3.9IIIII4.0 4.9IVV5.0 5.9VIVII6.0 6.9VIIVIII7.0+IXor higher

CreditsHow often do earthquakes happen.Where do Earthquakes usually happenNatural Structures InvolvedHow are Earthquakes Measured?After EffectsKey wordsKey Scientists http://www.earthquakealert.com/?categoryId=7779http://knowledge.allianz.com/?566/haiti-earthquake-natural-disasterhttp://www.learner.org/interactives/dynamicearth/plate.htmlkhanacademy.org and search Richter Scale.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRDpTEjumdohttp://ic.galegroup.com/ic/scic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=Reference&disableHighlighting=false&prodId=SCIC&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CCX3044900017&mode=viewSame link as 6th link for Key words and Key Scientists.