An earthquake is the shaking of the

surface of the Earth, resulting from the

sudden release of energy in the
Earth's lithosphere that creates
seismic waves. Earthquakes can range
in size from those that are so weak
that they cannot be felt to those violent
enough to toss people around and
destroy whole cities.
 What is an earthquake
and what causes them
to happen?
An earthquake is caused by a
sudden slip on a fault.
The tectonic plates are always
slowly moving, but they get
stuck at their edges due to
friction. When the stress on
the edge overcomes the
friction, there is an earthquake
that releases energy in waves
that travel through the earth's
crust and cause the shaking
that we feel.
 In California there are two
plates - the Pacific Plate and
the North American Plate. The
Pacific Plate consists of most
of the Pacific Ocean floor and
the California Coast line. The
North American Plate
comprises most the North
American Continent and parts
of the Atlantic Ocean floor. The
primary boundary between
these two plates is the San
Andreas Fault. The San
Andreas Fault is more than
650 miles long and extends to
depths of at least 10 miles.
Many other smaller faults like
the Hayward (Northern
California) and the San Jacinto
(Southern California) branch
from and join the San Andreas
Fault Zone.
The Pacific Plate grinds
northwestward past the North
American Plate at a rate of
about two inches per year.
Parts of the San Andreas Fault
system adapt to this
movement by
constant "creep" resulting in
many tiny shocks and a few
moderate earth tremors. In
other areas where creep is
NOT constant, strain can build
up for hundreds of years,
producing great earthquakes
when it finally releases
 15 INTERESTING FACTS
ABOUT EARTHQUAKES
Home/Around the World/15 Interesting
Facts about Earthquakes
EARTHQUAKES HAVE
KILLED AT LEAST 13
MILLION IN THE PAST 4000
YEARS
 These days, buildings are made to
endure the forces of a quake, but not all
societies have rebuilt their buildings, and
even though they are supposedly safe,
you can never be 100% sure.
Warnings have also become a lot more
frequent, and people living in areas with
a lot of earthquakes usually have warning
systems in their cellphones, etc. But
that’s not always enough, and sometimes
it will still claim lives when the ground
starts to shake.
The most deadly earthquake ever
recorded was one in central China in the
1800s, when more than 800,000 people
lost their lives. Scientists estimate that
more than 13 million people have lost
their lives in the past 4000 years.
 MOST EARTHQUAKES
OCCUR IN THE “RING OF
FIRE”
The Ring of Fire is a major area in the
Pacific Ocean, and it’s the most
geologically active area in the world.
About 90% of all earthquakes in the
world takes place here.Play Video
 In 2018, more than 70 earthquakes
occurred in the Ring of Fire in 2018,
which sparked fear that “the big one”
could happen.
 Photo: Shutterstock
THE STRONGEST
EARTHQUAKE EVER
RECORDED HAD A
MAGNITUDE OF 9,5
Below are the strongest earthquakes
since 1900. Experiencing an earthquake
with a magnitude of 9.0 or higher is
unlikely, but they happen from time to
time.
The strongest earthquake ever recorded
happened in 1960 in Chile, near the city
of Valdivia. It caused massive destruction
and deaths with a staggering magnitude
of 9,5 on the Richter-scale.
Valdivia, Chile 1960 9.5
Prince William 1964 9.2
Sound, Alaska
Sumatra, Indonesia 2004 9.1
Sendai, Japan 2011 9.0
Kamchatka, Russia 1952 9.0
SEISMOMETERS ARE
USED TO MEASURE THE
MAGNITUDE OF
EARTHQUAKES
 It was John Milne who invented the
seismometer in 1880, and that’s the
instrument used today, which creates
seismographs showing the ground
motions.
Photo: Shutterstock
EARTHQUAKE
MAGNITUDE SCALE
As you have learned, it is common to
measure the magnitude via the Richter-
scale which goes from 0 to 10. But if
you’re not a seismologist, those numbers
might not be of much help, other than
that 9 or 10 would be a very bad
earthquake.
 In the photo below you can see what to
expect at each magnitude. You can
generally start feeling them around 4 or 5
in magnitude, and these could cause
some damage, but most buildings are fine
up to 6 in magnitude.
If an earthquake of 7 or higher hits your
area, there will likely be much
destruction, and it could potentially lead
to deaths of thousands of people as well.
If you’re traveling to a country which is
known to experience many earthquakes,
make sure that you know the procedures
for the specific country.
 Photo: Shutterstock
5 X RANDOM FACTS
ABOUT EARTHQUAKES
  The longest recorded earthquake
lasted for 10 minutes
 An average earthquake lasts around a
minute
 There are at least 500,000
earthquakes per year
 An earthquake under the ocean can
cause tsunamis
  There are at least one earthquake per
year with a magnitude of 8,0 or higher on
average
Photo: Shutterstock
 5 X EARTHQUAKE FACTS
FOR KIDS
 Charles Richter was an American
scientist who invented the Richter scale
(1935)
 The earliest recorded earthquake was
in China, 1831 B.C
  Most earthquakes occur at depths of
less than 80 km (50 miles) from the
Earth’s surface
 The Pacific Ring of Fire is the most
geologically active region of Earth
 Earthquakes occur as a result of
moving tectonic plates. The main cause is
when the pressure from two pushing
rocks become too much, and one breaks.
 GENERAL FACTS ABOUT
EARTHQUAKES
Here is some more general information
and how to stay safe, which can be a
great addition to these facts about
earthquakes.
 The largest earthquake ever
recorded: 1960, Chile – 9,5 magnitude
  Deadliest earthquake: 1556 in
Central China. Approximately 830,000
people died
 Earthquakes per year in the world:
500,000
WHAT CAUSES AN
EARTHQUAKE?
The tectonic plates are constantly
moving and they get stuck while pushing
against other tectonic plates. A pressure
is built up when the rocks are pushing
against each other underground, and
when the pressure gets too much, one of
them will break and give way for the
other.
When this happens, the tectonic plates
will move and a massive amount of
energy is released, which is causing the
ground to shake and move. It continues
until the tectonic plates get stuck again,
and will occur once the fault breaks
again.
It’s a constant battle and that is why
countries who are located along the
tectonic plates will experience more
earthquakes than countries which are
further away.
 MOST EARTHQUAKE-
PRONE COUNTRIES
There are many countries who
experience earthquakes on a fairly
regular basis. The largest ever recorded
took place in Chile, near Valdivia.
In Japan, there are at least 1500
earthquakes per year, which makes out to
about 2-3 per day. Luckily, most of them
are smaller. Below are some of the
countries that are most prone to
earthquakes in the world!
 Japan
 Nepal
 India
 Ecuador
 Philippines
 Pakistan
 El Salvador
 Mexico
 Turkey
 Indonesia
 HOW TO STAY SAFE
DURING EARTHQUAKES
Follow these safety tips if a quake is
happening:
 Drop down, take cover and take
cover under a table or desk
 Protect yourself with pillows or
mattresses
  Stay away from furniture that can fall
down
 Stay away from windows
 If you’re outdoors, stay away from
buildings, powerlines or trees
 If you’re driving, slow down your
speed at stay when you’re in a clear area
 AS OF NOW LAST
SEPTEMBER 1 THERE
WAS AN EARTHQUAKE
WITH A MAGNITUDE 6.6
FROM SUVA, FIGI
AROUND 11:54 PM
 What Is Seismology?
Seismology is the study of earthquakes
and seismic waves that move through
and around the earth. A seismologist is
a scientist who studies earthquakes and
seismic waves.
What Are Seismic Waves?
Seismic waves are the waves of
energy caused by the sudden breaking
of rock within the earth or an explosion.
They are the energy that travels through
the earth and is recorded on
seismographs.
Types of Seismic Waves
There are several different kinds of
seismic waves, and they all move in
different ways. The two main types of
waves are body waves and surface
waves. Body waves can travel through
the earth's inner layers, but surface
waves can only move along the surface
of the planet like ripples on water.
Earthquakes radiate seismic energy as
both body and surface waves.
BODY WAVES
Traveling through the interior of the
earth, body waves arrive before the
surface waves emitted by an
earthquake. These waves are of a higher
frequency than surface waves.
P WAVES
The first kind of body wave is the P
wave or primary wave. This is the
fastest kind of seismic wave, and,
consequently, the first to 'arrive' at a
seismic station. The P wave can move
through solid rock and fluids, like water
or the liquid layers of the earth. It
pushes and pulls the rock it moves
through just like sound waves push and
pull the air. Have you ever heard a big
clap of thunder and heard the windows
rattle at the same time? The windows
rattle because the sound waves were
pushing and pulling on the window
glass much like P waves push and pull
on rock. Sometimes animals can hear
the P waves of an earthquake. Dogs, for
instance, commonly begin barking
hysterically just before an earthquake
'hits' (or more specifically, before the
surface waves arrive). Usually people
can only feel the bump and rattle of
these waves.

P waves are also known

as compressional waves, because of
the pushing and pulling they do.
Subjected to a P wave, particles move
in the same direction that the the wave
is moving in, which is the direction that
the energy is traveling in, and is
sometimes called the 'direction of wave
propagation'. Click here to see a P wave
in action.
FIGURE 1 - A P WAVE TRAVELS
THROUGH A MEDIUM BY MEANS OF
COMPRESSION AND DILATION.
PARTICLES ARE REPRESENTED BY
CUBES IN THIS MODEL. IMAGE
©2000-2006 LAWRENCE BRAILE,
USED WITH PERMISSION.

S WAVES
The second type of body wave is the S
wave or secondary wave, which is the
second wave you feel in an earthquake.
An S wave is slower than a P wave and
can only move through solid rock, not
through any liquid medium. It is this
property of S waves that led
seismologists to conclude that the
Earth's outer core is a liquid. S waves
move rock particles up and down, or
side-to-side--perpendicular to the
direction that the wave is traveling in
(the direction of wave
propagation). Click here to see a S wave
in action.
FIGURE 2 - AN S WAVE TRAVELS
THROUGH A MEDIUM. PARTICLES
ARE REPRESENTED BY CUBES IN
THIS MODEL. IMAGE ©2000-2006
LAWRENCE BRAILE, USED WITH
PERMISSION.

If you'd like to try your hand at

making your own P and S waves, try
this little experiment.
SURFACE WAVES
 Travelling only through the
crust, surface waves are of a lower
frequency than body waves, and are
easily distinguished on a seismogram as
a result. Though they arrive after body
waves, it is surface waves that are
almost enitrely responsible for the
damage and destruction associated with
earthquakes. This damage and the
strength of the surface waves are
reduced in deeper earthquakes.
LOVE WAVES
The first kind of surface wave is called
a Love wave, named after A.E.H. Love,
a British mathematician who worked
out the mathematical model for this
kind of wave in 1911. It's the fastest
surface wave and moves the ground
from side-to-side. Confined to the
surface of the crust, Love waves
produce entirely horizontal
motion.Click here to see a Love wave in
action.
FIGURE 3 - A LOVE WAVE TRAVELS
THROUGH A MEDIUM. PARTICLES
ARE REPRESENTED BY CUBES IN
THIS MODEL. IMAGE ©2000-2006
LAWRENCE BRAILE, USED WITH
PERMISSION.

RAYLEIGH WAVES
The other kind of surface wave is
the Rayleigh wave, named for John
William Strutt, Lord Rayleigh, who
mathematically predicted the existence
of this kind of wave in 1885. A
Rayleigh wave rolls along the ground
just like a wave rolls across a lake or an
ocean. Because it rolls, it moves the
ground up and down, and side-to-side in
the same direction that the wave is
moving. Most of the shaking felt from
an earthquake is due to the Rayleigh
wave, which can be much larger than
the other waves. Click here to see a
Rayleigh wave in action.
FIGURE 4 - A RAYLEIGH WAVE
TRAVELS THROUGH A MEDIUM.
PARTICLES ARE REPRESENTED BY
CUBES IN THIS MODEL. IMAGE
©2000-2006 LAWRENCE BRAILE,
USED WITH PERMISSION.