What is an earthquake?
Earthquakes are the vibrations that are caused by tectonic plates breaking and suddenly sliding past each other when they have been under stress. The underground surface where the rock breaks is called a fault plane.
The size or magnitude of the earthquake is found out by measuring the amplitude of the seismic waves which are recorded on a seismograph and also the distance from the seismograph. This information is put into a formula which converts it into a magnitude. The magnitude of an earthquake is the energy that is released by the earthquake. Every unit that the earthquake increases in magnitude is around a thirty fold increase in the amount of energy released. A magnitude 6.0 earthquake releases approximately 30 times more energy than a magnitude 5.0 earthquake.
A magnitude 8.6 earthquake releases as much energy as around 10 000 atomic bombs from World War II. Smaller earthquakes occur much more than that of large earthquakes and usually leave less damage. About 80 percent of all the planet's earthquakes occur along the rim of the Pacific Ocean, called the "Ring of Fire" because of the multitude of volcanic activity there as well. Scientists allocate a magnitude rating to earthquakes based on the strength and duration of their seismic waves. A quake measuring 3 to 5 is considered minor or light; 5 to 7 is moderate to strong; 7 to 8 is major; and 8 or more is great.
Earthquakes are the vibrations that are caused by tectonic plates breaking and suddenly sliding past each other when they have been under stress. The underground surface where the rock breaks is called a fault plane.
The size or magnitude of the earthquake is found out by measuring the amplitude of the seismic waves which are recorded on a seismograph and also the distance from the seismograph. This information is put into a formula which converts it into a magnitude. The magnitude of an earthquake is the energy that is released by the earthquake. Every unit that the earthquake increases in magnitude is around a thirty fold increase in the amount of energy released. A magnitude 6.0 earthquake releases approximately 30 times more energy than a magnitude 5.0 earthquake.
A magnitude 8.6 earthquake releases as much energy as around 10 000 atomic bombs from World War II. Smaller earthquakes occur much more than that of large earthquakes and usually leave less damage. About 80 percent of all the planet's earthquakes occur along the rim of the Pacific Ocean, called the "Ring of Fire" because of the multitude of volcanic activity there as well. Scientists allocate a magnitude rating to earthquakes based on the strength and duration of their seismic waves. A quake measuring 3 to 5 is considered minor or light; 5 to 7 is moderate to strong; 7 to 8 is major; and 8 or more is great.