Earthquake
hideAn earthquake (also known as a tremor or temblor) is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes are recorded with a seismometer, also known as a seismograph. The moment magnitude of an earthquake is conventionally reported, or the related and mostly obsolete Richter magnitude, with magnitude 3 or lower earthquakes being mostly imperceptible and magnitude 7 causing serious damage over large areas. Intensity of shaking is measured on the modified Mercalli scale.
At the Earth's surface, earthquakes manifest themselves by shaking and sometimes displacing the ground. When a large earthquake epicenter is located offshore, the seabed sometimes suffers sufficient displacement to cause a tsunami. The shaking in earthquakes can also trigger landslides and occasionally volcanic activity.
In its most generic sense, the word earthquake is used to describe any seismic event — whether a natural phenomenon or an event caused by humans — that generates seismic waves. Earthquakes are caused mostly by rupture of geological faults, but also by volcanic activity, landslides, mine blasts, and nuclear experiments. An earthquake's point of initial rupture is called its focus or hypocenter. The term epicenter refers to the point at ground level directly above the hypocenter.
For more information about Earthquake, read the full article at
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News tagged with earthquake
Hawaiian hot spot has deep roots
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Dec 03, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Hawaii may be paradise for vacationers, but for geologists it has long been a puzzle. Plate tectonic theory readily explains the existence of volcanoes at boundaries where plates split apart ...
Deep creep means milder, more frequent earthquakes along Southern California's San Jacinto fault
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Nov 08, 2009 |
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With an average of four mini-earthquakes per day, Southern California's San Jacinto fault constantly adjusts to make it a less likely candidate for a major earthquake than its quiet neighbor to the east, the ...
Quake prediction model developed
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Dec 03, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- The third in a series of papers in the journal Nature completes the case for a new method of predicting earthquakes.
Using new technique, scientists find 11 times more aftershocks for 2004 quake
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Nov 23, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Using a technique normally used for detecting weak tremor, scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology discovered that the 2004 magnitude 6 earthquake along the Parkfield section of the San Andreas ...
Noise Evidence Could Expand Hurricane Record
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Nov 10, 2009 |
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As sea-surface temperatures rise across the globe, some scientists believe that hurricane frequency and intensity may increase. A fresh technique offers promise to generate new data from long-dead storms, ...
New study cites lower rate of quakes along some subduction zones
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Dec 04, 2009 |
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Most earthquakes occur along fault lines, which form boundaries between two tectonic plates. As the relative speed of the plates around a fault increases, is there a corresponding increase in the number of earthquakes produced ...
Small faults in Southeast Spain reduce earthquake risk of larger ones
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Nov 25, 2009 |
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A team of Spanish scientists, studying recent, active deformations in the Baetic mountain range, have shown that the activity of smaller tectonic structures close to larger faults in the south east of the ...
Taiwan to boost quake warning system
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Nov 15, 2009 |
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Taiwan plans to build its first undersea seismic station, designed to improve the island's early warning system and save valuable seconds when earthquakes strike, officials said.
Excavation unravels mysteries of men's gymnasium's demise during 1906 earthquake
Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils
Nov 10, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
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More than a year into an excavation project of the men's gymnasium that was destroyed by the 1906 earthquake, Stanford university archaeologist Laura Jones' team has unearthed evidence suggesting why the newly ...
