Major earthquake, volcano and society. Life Sciences Essay

Earthquakes and Society
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Earthquakes and Society
The society has evidently suffered significant effects, some positive and more negative, as a result of earthquakes. An earthquake can be defined as the shaking of the earth, resulting from the sudden release of energy in the earth’s lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes come in sizes from ones that are so weak that they cannot be felt, to violent ones that can lead to significant destruction. The type of earthquake depends on the geological make-up of the region in which it occurs CITATION Seb15 \l 1033 (D'Amico, 2015). Studies confirm four major types of earthquakes and these include tectonic earthquakes, volcanic earthquakes, collapse earthquakes, and explosion earthquakes. This paper reports on Tulbagh, South Africa earthquake which is a significantly important covering its effect, damages, death tolls, and economic impact among other permanent consequences of this experience.
A positive consequence of earthquakes is the creation of the need to study, explore and take precautionary measures and damage control. This is in a way a positive development towards modern civilization. Today, the state of human society has advanced and a significantly high level of civilization has been reached improvements still underway. Many communities are studying earthquakes and its aftermath to help prepare for the likelihood of an occurrence of a similar circumstance. Earthquakes involve certain shaking of the earth and this sometimes leads to buildings collapsing and a great deal of life and economic property destruction. Therefore, a need is created to establish constructions that can withstand the earth’s seismic movements CITATION Joh16 \l 1033 (Beer, 2016). Most urban centers have witnessed characteristic development, efficient systems of communication and a perceived separation and dominion over the natural environment.
Most buildings, structures, and constructions now have the ability to cope with the dynamics of the earth’s structure. People are specializing in fields that deal with earthquake engineering. This study deals with sorting ways of creating an enabling societal environment, which includes both natural and manmade environment, through reducing earthquake risks. Studies and research are also being conducted in order to provide effective ways of dealing with the disaster. An example of a destructive earthquake includes the magnitude 9.1 Sumatra, Indonesia that happened on the 26th December 2004. The result killed 227,900 people, displaced 1.7 million people and caused a lot of economic damages. Another example is the 22nd May 1960 Valdivia, Chile earthquake (magnitude 9.5) that left 1655 people dead, 3000 people injured, 2 million people displaced and US...