Earthquakes Flashcards
1
Q
What is an earthquake?
A
- An earthquake is the sudden movement and shaking of the earth caused by the movement of the plates of the crust
- ## when plates move, the rock suddenly breaks and slips along a crack call the fault line.
2
Q
The point inside the earth where the earthquake starts
A
The focus
3
Q
What travels out from the focus?
A
Shock wave/tremors
4
Q
The place on the earth surface directly above the focus
A
The epicenter here’s where the most damage is done
5
Q
Many earthquakes after the big one
A
Aftershocks - they can happen hours weeks or months after the earthquake
6
Q
A
7
Q
Earthquakes occur where
A
Plates collide (destructive plate boundary)
Slide past each other (transform plate boundary)
8
Q
D instrument used to measure the power of an earthquake
A
Richter scale
9
Q
Tell me about the Richter scale
A
- measures the magnitude (power) of an earthquake
- scale goes from 0 to 10
- Below 4.0 very little damage is caused
- 6.0 can result in major damage
- 7.0 and above major damage over a large area
- ## largest earthquake ever measured was 9.5 on the Richter scale (chile 1960)
10
Q
A case study of an earthquake
A
Japan 2011 earthquake and tsunami
11
Q
Tell me about the Richter scale
A
12
Q
Tell me about the Japan, 2011 earthquake in tsunami
A
- plates involved - pacific and Eurasian plates
- strength of the earthquake - 9.0 on the Richter scale, 5000 aftershocks
- Immediate response tothe disaster - €400 billion emergency aid from other countries E.g equipment, water pumps, food, blankets, shelters.
- Tectonic process- plate collision and subduction
- Immediate impacts - injury, death and destruction 130,000 buildings damaged, nuclear power station damaged by 6 m high tsunami (wave traveling at 800 kilometers per hour reaching 10 km inland.
- economic impact— €250 billion in repairing costs.
- social impact - tsunami killed 18,000 people, 6000 people injured and 450,000 people displaced
