EARTH QUAKES

An earthquake makes the ground move or shake. These natural events can cause massive damage and destruction. The study of earthquakes is called seismology.

An earthquake is caused by sudden, violent shifting of massive rocks called plates under the earth's surface. This movement of the plates releases stress that accumulates along geologic faults. A fault is a deep crack that marks the boundary between two of these plates. Earthquake belts occur along faults around the world. Many run along coastal areas. The San Andreas fault in central California is well-known for causing severe earthquakes.

The epicenter is the point on the surface where the earthquake is the strongest. The Richter scale is used to measure the amount of energy released by the earthquake. The severity of an earthquake runs from 0 to 9 on this scale. Small tremors occur constantly, but every few months a major earthquake occurs somewhere in the world. Scientists are researching ways to predict earthquakes, but their predictions are not always accurate.

What causes earthquakes?

Earthquakes are caused by faulting, a sudden lateral or vertical movement of rock along a rupture (break) surface. 
The surface of the Earth is in continuous slow motion. This is plate tectonics--the motion of immense rigid plates at the surface of the Earth in response to flow of rock within the Earth. The plates cover the entire surface of the globe. Since they are all moving they rub against each other in some places (like the San Andreas Fault in California), sink beneath each other in others (like the Peru-Chile Trench along the western border of South America), or spread apart from each other (like the Mid-Atlantic Ridge).  

Earthquake Safety Tips:

When an earthquake happens, you don't want to be caught unprepared. As a precautionary method to keep you and your family safe, act before the sudden strike of an earthquake. Here are some specific earthquake safety precautions that need to be handled before it's too late to act.


Earthquake safety rules for your house involves certain sections.

• The shelves should be secured to the walls and keep heavy objects on the bottom shelf.
• In the kitchen, place all the fragile items such as glass, china, and bottled foods in lower cabinets that have latches.
• Keep the pictures and mirrors away from the beds and sofas; absolutely away from where people sit underneath it.
• If there is any defect in the wiring or gas connections, fix it as soon as possible, to avoid potential risk of fire.
• Any visible cracks in the walls, ceilings, or the foundations of your house should be taken care of immediately.
• Stand against the inside of a wall which doesn't have anything above it; clear sky.
• Stand away from glass windows, walls, pictures, cabinet, and bookcases.
• Stay away from tall buildings, don't stand underneath trees or telephone and Electricity poles and towers