Earthquake Facts, Earthquake Information, Earthquake Videos, Earthquake Photos. Earthquakes, also called temblors, can be so tremendously destructive, it’s hard to imagine they occur by the thousands every day around the world, usually in the form of small tremors.
Some 80 percent of all the planet's earthquakes occur along the rim of the Pacific Ocean, called the "Ring of Fire" because of the preponderance of volcanic activity there as well. Most earthquakes occur at fault zones, where tectonic plates—giant rock slabs that make up the Earth's upper layer—collide or slide against each other. These impacts are usually gradual and unnoticeable on the surface; however, immense stress can build up between plates. When this stress is released quickly, it sends massive vibrations, called seismic waves, often hundreds of miles through the rock and up to the surface. Other quakes can occur far from faults zones when plates are stretched or squeezed. Scientists assign a magnitude rating to earthquakes based on the strength and duration of their seismic waves. Weather Wiz Kids weather information for kids. Earthquakes(Earthquakes are not associated with weather, but instead are natural disasters.)
What is an earthquake? Earthquakes are the shaking, rolling or sudden shock of the earth’s surface. They are the Earth's natural means of releasing stress. More than a million earthquakes rattle the world each year. Earthquakes. Top Ten List of the Largest Earthquakes Ever Recorded in History by Magnitude. Earthquake - Pictures, Photos & Images of Disasters - Science for Kids. Earthquake Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Earthquakes. Earthquakes involve the powerful movement of rocks in the Earth’s crust.
The rapid release of energy creates seismic waves that travel through the earth. Scientists use the different speeds of seismic waves to locate the epicentre (the point on the surface directly above where the earthquake originated) of earthquakes. Seismometers are used to measure the magnitude of earthquakes. You are unlikely to feel a magnitude 3 earthquake but a magnitude 6 earthquake could potentially cause large damage. The damage caused by earthquakes also depends on their depth and fault type. Big Earthquake Video - 1989 California Earthquake as it Happened. What is an Earthquake? - Educational Video, Learn about Tectonic Plates. How to Survive an Earthquake" Whether you live in an earthquake-prone region like California or Japan or in calmer lands, the idea of everything around you shaking uncontrollably -- and potentially catastrophically -- can be terrifying.
There's a particular sense of helplessness that can accompany earthquakes, especially because there is no established scientific method of predicting them. With that in mind, preparation is the best defense. If you reside in a place like California's Bay Area, where there are eight or more faults that could produce a serious earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7 or worse, knowing how best to weather an earthquake is as essential as a Floridian's knowing what to do when a hurricane approaches [source: USGS].
With that in mind, we'll take a look at what to do before, during and after an earthquake in this article. From supplies to retrofitting to emergency communication, we'll cover it all. First, let's see how to secure your home. How Earthquakes Work" Rare Earthquake Hits Virginia, Rattles U.S. East Coast. The magnitude 5.8 earthquake that struck Virginia Tuesday was a rare but significant event for the region, according to one quake expert.
"It was quite sizable," said seismologist Hua-wei Zhou of Texas Tech University. The Virginia earthquake struck at about 1:51 p.m ET near Mineral, Virgina, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northwest of Richmond (map). The tremors shook buildings and prompted evacuations as far away as Washington, D.C., and New York City. The quake was followed by a magnitude 2.8 aftershock 45 minutes later. (Related: "Japan Earthquake Vibrations Nearly Reached Space. ") Earthquakes rarely strike the U.S. Before this latest quake, for example, the largest earthquake on record in central Virginia was a magnitude 4.8 temblor that occurred in 1875, according to the U.S.
Eastern Earthquakes Smaller But Farther Reaching. Earthquakes - Geology For Kids - By KidsGeo.com. Earthquakes Written for the KidsKnowIt Network by: Meredith Tennant The Earth’s outer layer is called the crust.
It covers the Earth like a cracked eggshell. The pieces are called geological plates that fit together like a jigsaw puzzle, with the joints known as fault lines. The plates naturally and continually move against each other. The point at which the plates shift is known as the hypocenter. An earthquake can have many aftershocks, which can happen over a period of years, depending on the size of the main shock. The size of an earthquake is measured on a Richter scale of magnitude. Most earthquakes happen within the ‘Ring of Fire’ around the Pacific Ocean. It is thought that there are as many as 500,000 earthquakes every year, although only 100,000 can be felt at all and only about 100 of those actually cause any damage. BBC Earth - Earthquake videos - The most deadly quakes and their causes.