Earthquakes Flashcards
What are earthquakes ?
An earthquake is the sudden shaking of the earth caused by the movement of the earth’s crust
Where do earthquakes occur ?
Earthquakes occur where plates collide or slide past each other
What type of scientists study earthquakes?
Seismologists are scientists who study earthquakes.
What is the focus ?
Focus: the place where an earthquake begins beneath the earth’s surface
What is the Epicentre ?
Epicentre: directly above the focus
What are shock waves ?
Shock waves: Spread out in circles from the focus.
What is the fault ?
fault: Cracks on earth’s surface
What is the San A dress Fault ?
A large crack in the Earth’s crust that marks a plate boundary
Where is the San Andreas Fault located ?
California, USA
Describe what the San Andreas plate does
It is a slow moving North American plate
By what average (cm) does the North American plate move per year
NorthAmerican plate is moving by an average of 1cm per year
A tsunami can devastate ___ _____ areas
Low lying
Waves can become ____ ______ as they approach shallow water near the coast
Much higher
What is a seismograph
An instrument used to measure and record an earthquake and how long it lasted
What is the Ritcher Scake ?
The original scake used to measure the magnitude of an earthquake.
What does the Ritcher Scale go from
1-8
What is the MMS scale ?
It replaced the Ritcher scale and is more reliable.
What does MMS stand for ?
Moment magnitude scale
What does the MMS scale go from ?
1-10
What are some social impacts from Earthquakes
- Fatalities
- Buildinvs collapsed, gas lines broken, fires, water and/or electricity cut off
- Road blockings
- tsunamis
What are some Economic impacts from earthquakes?
- Costs: damage of billions of euro
- Poverty and homelessness as homes are destroyed
- Tourism is affected
Are Earthquakes good or bad ?
Bad
