LET'S EXPLORE The Earth
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What causes an earthquake?
An earthquake is the trembling or shaking of the ground. It is caused by the sudden movement of the rocks in the Earth’s crust. This usually happens when the edge of one tectonic plate slides beneath or alongside another. The two plates sometimes lock together for a while, before the pressure becomes too great and the rocks suddenly snap apart. Shock waves travel out in all directions, causing the ground to shake.
Earthquake damage
It is mostly in towns and cities where earthquakes cause large loss of life. The sudden violent shaking of the ground may result in the collapse of buildings and bridges, roads splitting apart, pipes bursting and cables breaking. Landslides, fire and flooding also cause great damage.
Shock waves
The place where the rocks snap is called the focus. The point on the Earth’s surface above the focus is called the epicentre. Shock waves (also called seismic waves) travel out in all directions from the focus. In a small earthquake, the ground will tremble only slightly. In a large one, it may shake violently for several minutes.
Tsunami
A tsunami (sometimes called a tidal wave) is caused by an earthquake on the ocean floor. The sudden slip sets off a series of fast-moving waves. When they reach the coast, the waves surge inland with great power.
Where earthquakes happen
Lands bordering the Pacific Ocean experience thousands of earthquakes each year. This region, known as the “Pacific Rim”, is where the Pacific tectonic plate meets a number of surrounding plates.
Most of the quakes around the Pacific Rim are so small they are not even noticed. But every now and then there will be a major earthquake that has devastating consequences. The 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, which led to the Fukushima nuclear disaster, was such a major earthquake.
Consultant: Ian Fairchild
Ready to find out more?
Here are some pages in other parts of Q-files you might like to explore:
Earthquakes
Nepal 2015 earthquake
Plate tectonics
Tsunamis