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Tectonic Plates
There are 7 large and 12 small such plates which are in continuous motion.
These plates move along three distinctive types of boundaries, that is :
convergent boundaries : where plates push each other and one plate slides down the other one
divergent boundaries : where plates pull away from each other
transformed boundaries : where plates slide past each other.
Earthquake occur due to several causes such as volcanic eruption, etc. but the plate tectonic theory is
the most convincing and widely accepted
Faults
When rocks slip past each other in faulting, the upper or
overlying block along the fault plane is called the hanging
wall, or headwall; the block below is called the footwall. The
fault strike is the direction of the line of intersection
between the fault plane and the surface of the Earth. The dip of
a fault plane is its angle of inclination measured from the
horizontal.
Fault Classifications
Active, Inactive, and Reactivated Faults
Active faults are structure along which we expect displacement to occur. By
definition, since a shallow earthquake is a process that produces displacement across a
fault, all shallow earthquakes occur on active faults.
Inactive faults are structures that we can identify, but which do no have earthquakes.
As you can imagine, because of the complexity of earthquake activity, judging a fault
to be inactive can be tricky, but often we can measure the last time substantial offset
occurred across a fault. If a fault has been inactive for millions of years, it's certainly
safe to call it inactive. However, some faults only have large earthquakes once in
thousands of years, and we need to evaluate carefully their hazard potential.
Reactivated faults form when movement along formerly inactive faults can help to
alleviate strain within the crust or upper mantle.
If your house was destroyed, make sure that it is already safe and stable when you enter.
Beware of dangerous animals such as snakes that may have entered your house
Watch out for live wires or outlet immersed in water.
Report damaged electrical cables and fallen electric posts to the authorities.
Do not let water accumulate in tires, cans or pots to avoid creating a favorable condition for mosquito
breeding.
Characteristics of waves