Transcript What is an earthquake? - St Helens Park Public School

An earthquake is a shaking of
the ground caused by the
sudden breaking and
movement of large sections
(tectonic plates) of the
earth's rocky outermost crust.
Earthquakes happen when
the moving tectonic plates
that make up the surface of
the Earth move apart or
bump into each other, or
slide under each other.
Within areas of the crust are
fractures, known as faults,
along which two crustal
blocks have slipped or
moved against each other.
The ground shakes during an
earthquake because the plates
underneath are continuously
moving at a slow pace, but as
they are moving they are rubbing
against each other and eventually
on plate will slip under another
and this sudden 'shift' causes an
earth quake.
Aftershocks are lesser
earthquakes that occur after
a major one, along the same
fault.
Earthquakes and tsunamis
are alike because an
earthquake causes a tsunami
wave, as the earthquake
creates a force pushing the
water to shore.
Scientists normally use
something called the Richter
scale to measure earthquakes.
They measure in magnitude.
1 on the Richter scale would
be small vibrations through the
earthquake zone where as 10
would be total destruction.
Earthquake prediction is
currently not possible.
Seismologists will attempt to
quantify the risk posed by a
particular fault zone rather
than state exactly when an
earthquake will occur.
Well, earthquakes happen naturally when two tectonic
plates grind into each other. But, when it get's too
strong, this is when we can feel it. Most people take
earthquake in a negative way, but earthquake is one
of the proofs that tells us that earth is still active. If there
were no earthquakes, we wouldn't have mountains,
rivers, and all the other beautiful views. In fact, the
earth would be cold and dry as the moon. Even
though, earthquake destroys a lot of things and kills a
lot of people, it's just the way things are. It tells us that
earth is still a planet that we can live in.
Wikipedia
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 Naturaldisaters.com
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