Earthquakes Flashcards
What is an earthquake?
A sudden or violent movement within the earth’s crust followed by a series of shocks.
Focus
The point where the earthquake starts.
Epicentre
Point on the ground directly above the focus.
Seismic wave
Energy released by an earthquake
What was the biggest earthquake ever recorded
It was in Chili in 1960 and it was 9.5 on the moment magnitude scale.
What are the 5 impacts of earthquakes
- buildings destroyed or damaged
- soil liquifaction (ground turning to quicksand)
- fires
- tsunamis
- landslides
How can we reduce the impacts of earthquakes
- drop, cover, hold on
- a seismic building design (e.g. base isolators or pendulums)
What’s the name of the island that Haiti is on?
Hispaniola
What is the capital of Haiti?
Port-au-Prince
What country does Haiti border?
Dominican Republic
What was Haiti the first to do at the start of the 19th century?
They had the first successful slave revolt.
What fault line is Haiti on?
It’s the place where the American and the Caribbean plates meet.
What date was the Haiti earthquake?
12 January 2010
How far below the surface was the focus?
10 kiliometres
How long did the 2010 Haiti earthquake last?
30 seconds
How big was the Haiti earthquake on the moment magnitude scale?
7.0
How much of the population resided in Haiti’s capital?
25%
How many people died in the 30 seconds of the earthquake?
220,000
How many people were injured in the 30 seconds of the earthquake?
300,000
How many people became homeless after the Haiti earthquake?
1.5 million
What are the different types of plate margins?
- Conservative plate margin
- Constructive plate margin
- Destructive plate margin
What is the movement of the plates in a conservative plate margin?
The plates move passed each other, or are side by side moving at different speeds.
What is the movement of the plates in a destructive plate margin?
When two plates move towards each other it’s usually with one continental and one oceanic crust, and because of this the oceanic plate is subducted.
If it’s 2 continental plates colliding they will buckle upwards and form a mountain.
What is the movement of the plates in a constructive plate margin?
At a constructive plate margin the plates move apart from one another.
The movement creates new land in the form of a shields volcano.
The movement of the plates over the mantle can also cause earthquakes.
What is the name of the fault in the Haiti earthquake
Enriquillo - Plantain Garden Fault
