EARTHQUAKE AND

SEISMICITY

PREPARED BY:
BINODGURUNG(071BCE0
9) 1
INTRODUCTION
Shaking of the earth
crust due to the rapid
movement of the outer
layer of the earth.
Occur when rocks are
stressed beyond their
elastic limits and fail
in the brittle fashion.

Tangshan
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Earthquake
TYPES OF EARTHQUAKE
Earthquake types distance of focus
from earth surface

1) Shallow o-70 km
earthquake

2) Deep earthquake 70-700 km

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TERMINOLOGIES
HYPOCENTER: The location

at which the first breaks

in the rock occurred.

EPICENTER: The location of

the earth surface directly

above the focus of an earthquake.

FOCUS: It is the point where

earthquake originates
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MERCALLI INTENSITY SCALE: Describes the

intensity of an earthquake based on its observed

effects.

Harry O. Wood Frank

Neumann

Giuseppe
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Mercalli
Mercalli Characteristics effects Appxro. Ritcher
intensity scale
I-Instrumental Not felt 1
II-Just Felt by a few person 1.5
perceptible
III-Slight Felt quite in upper floor 2
IV-Perceptible Indoor more, outdoor 3
few
V-Rather strong Felt by nearly everyone 4
VI-Strong Felt by all 5
VII-Very strong Damage may occur in 5.5
poor structures.
VIII-Destructive Damage in ordinary 6
buildings
IX-Ruinous Damage in special 6.5
design structures
X-Disastrous Most structures 7
damaged. 6
XI-Very Bridges destroyed.
 RITCHER MAGNITUDE SCALE: Describes
the magnitude of the earthquake by
measuring seismic waves.

Charles Ritcher

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Ritcher magnitude scale Release energy (kJ)

1 < 10 to the power 5

2 < 10 to the power 5

3 10 to the power 6

4 10 to the power 7

5 10 to the power 8

6 10 to the power 9

7 10 to the power 11

8 10 to the power 12

Greater than8 10 to the power 13

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INTENSITY: It describes the degree of

shaking caused by the earthquake at a given

place and decreases with increase in distance.
MAGNITUDE: It is measure of earthquake

size and decreases with increases in distance.

Increase in one magnitude= 10 times

increase in measured amplitude.

Increase in one magnitude= 31 times

increase in energy released.
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Types of magnitude
Local magnitude (ML):

Good for earthquake less than 1000 km from the

instrument measuring the earthquake.

Valid for earthquake less than 6 units of magnitude.

Body wave magnitude(M b):

Based on the amplitude of the P body waves generated

by the earthquake.
Appropriate for earthquake about 1300 km

Valid for magnitude less than 6.5 units.

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Surface wave magnitude(MS):

Suitable for about 8 magnitude

Appropriate between 555-19980 km.

Moment magnitude(Mw):

Based on actual physical area of moving fault.

Area(S)=amount of slip(d)*Constant depend on

the rigidity properties of the rocks that slip(u)

Thus, Seismic moment(Mo)=u*S*<d>

Suitable for any units of magnitude.

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 INTENSITY VS MAGNITUDE

MERCALLI INTENSITY RITCHER MAGNITUDE

1) It has a linear scale 1) It has a logarithmic
prepared by Giuseppe scale prepared by Charles
Mercalli. Ritcher.
2) It is based on the 2) It is based on strength
observed effects . of the earthquake or
seismic waves.
3)It is expressed in roman 3) It is expressed in the
numbers from I to XII. decimal numbers from 0
to 10.

4) It is only useful for 4) It is useful to measure

measuring earthquake in the strength of the
inhabited areas. earthquake at different
times and location. 13
AMPLITUDE: It is the size of the wiggles on an

earthquake recording.
SRENGTH: It describes the amount of energy

released at the earthquake focus. Defined by

both intensity and magnitude.
SEISMIC WAVES: Waves of the energy

propagating through the Earths layers, and are

the result of the earthquake, volcano etc.

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TYPES OF THE SEIMIC WAVES

1) Body wave: Travel through the interior of the

body.

a)P-wave: Fastest wave, can move through

both rock ad fluid. Also called compression
wave.

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b) S-wave: Slower wave, can pass through solid
rock.

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P wave vs. S wave
P wave S wave

1. It has compression and 1. It has shearing motion.

dilatation motion.

2. It makes the rock vibrate 2. It makes the rock vibrate

parallel to the direction of perpendicular to the direction of
motion. path.
3. It is very fast travel at a rate 3. It travels slower than P wave
of 4-7 km/sec. at about 2-5 km/sec.

4. It can travel through both 4. It can passes through solid

solid and fluid. only.

5. P waves cause less effects. 5. It wave cause more effects.

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2) Surface wave: Travelling through the crust,
lower frequency than body wave.

a) Love wave: Named after Augustus Edward

Hough Love(British mathematician ), fastest
surface wave.

A.E.H LOVE
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b) Rayleigh wave: Named after Lord Rayleigh,
rolling motion

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Rayleigh wave vs. love wave
Rayleigh wave Love wave

1. It has rolling motion. 1. It has shearing plus side to

side motion.

2. It is slower than the love wave. 2. It is faster than the Rayleigh

wave.

3. It has high intensity. 3. It cause intensity less than

Rayleigh wave.

4. It can propagate through both 4. It can propagate through solid

solid and water . only.

5. It is proposed by lord Rayleigh. 5. It is proposed by A.E.H Love.

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Seiches: Small Tsunami like. It is the waves

sloshing in the lake as a result of earthquake

ground shaking. It is observed in lake,
reservoir etc.
Seismic hazard: The potential for damaging

effects caused by earthquakes.

Seismic risk: The chance of injury, damage,

or loss resulting from seismic hazards.

Surface Faulting: propagation of an

earthquake generating fault rupture. 22

Tectonic subsidence: Down dropping and

tilting of the basin floor on the down dropped

side.

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CAUSES OF EARTHQUAKE
Caused by sudden slip along the geologic faults.
Elastic rebound theory(Tectonic cause)
Proposed by American seismologist Harry
Fielding Reid .
Explain how energy is spread during
earthquake.
Sudden fault slip due to plate tectonic
movement.
States that rocks under strain suddenly break,
creating the fracture along the fault. Thus fault
slips causing the vibration on the crustal rocks
and releasing seismic
Harry waves.
Fielding
Reid
Describes mechanism of earthquake. 24
Elastic rebound theory

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 Non tectonic activities
Working of heavy machinery in
industries.
Blasting.

Collapsing of mines.

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EFFECTS OF EARTHQUAKE
Fire

Great San Francisco

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Tsunami/Harbor wave

Miyako city street, Japan 28

Property Damage

China 29
Landslide

Nepal 30
Volcanic eruption

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GLOF

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 Other Secondary Effects
Diseases/Pestilences

Lack of cleaning drinking

water
Lack of food/Famine

Economic loss
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CONTROL MEASURES
Public awareness about earthquake.

Earthquake resisting structures .

Early warning system.

Seismic microzonation, Seismic risk

assessment and Seismic hazard analysis.

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STRENGTH OF EARTHQUAKE IN
NEPAL
Earthquake magnitude Recurrence interval
(years)

5-6 2

6-7 5

7-7.5 8

7.5-8 40

>8 81
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EARTHQUAKE PREDICTIONS
Seismic gap identification

Foreshocks

Dilatancy theory: Dilate through fracture.

Animal behavior

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Recurrence interval: Stress uniform so
earthquake at regular interval of time.
Earthquake history of Nepal above 6 or nearly
7 magnitude
Years are 1954, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1980,
Earthquake Recurrence
1988
magnitude interval
Mean of difference of yrs.=X (years)
X= (1962-1954)+(1965-1962)+(1966-1965)+(1980-
1966)+(1988-1980) 5-6 2
6-7 5 5
Thus X= 6.8 nearly 7 yrs

7-7.5 8
S.D.=2.02 nearly 2 yrs 7.5-8 40
Hence, Predicted year=(1988+7)
>8 2 yrs 81
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 LOCATION OF THE EPICENTER
Method 1 : Plotting of isoseismal
lines

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Method 2: Determining
Epicentral distance

Vs .V p
d (t s t p )
V p Vs

For typical crustal

rocks
Vp = 6.5 km/s
Vs = 3.7 km/s

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EARTHQUAKE CYCLE
PHASE A) INTERSEISMIC

The time between large earthquake .

PHASE B) PRESEISMIC

The time just before an earthquake.

when an anomalous things happen.

PHASE C) COSEISMIC

The time during an earthquake.

PHASE D) POSTSEISMIC

The time after earthquake when an anomalous things happen.

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EARTHQUAKE HAZARD MAPPING
What is earthquake hazard map?
Map showing distribution of earthquake
shaking levels at different area.
Why it is prepared?
Prepared to provide detail information
possible to assist engineers in designing
structures and to update building codes.
How it is prepared?
It is prepared with the help of latest
technology such as GIS, remote sensing and
photogrammetry.
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ANY QUESTIONS?

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THANKS FOR LISTENING

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