Causes and Consequences of Earthquakes

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Causes and Consequences of Earthquakes
Earthquakes are one of the most destructive natural disasters that plague life on earth. It refers to a sudden movement and shaking of the earth’s surface due to seismic waves passing through the earth’s rocks. The size of an earthquake can differ from ones that are barely felt to those that destroy whole cities. Such differences depend on the size, frequency, and type of earthquake. Earthquakes can be measured by vibrations detected by a seismometer and a seismograph to plot the vibrations. The other means of measurement is the Richter scale, which detects the strength and magnitude. If an earthquake reads 7 or 8 on a Richter scale, it means that it can be devastating. This essay analyzes the causes and consequences of earthquakes and their overall impact on life on earth.
The earth’s crust comprises seven large lithospheric plates and other smaller plates. The plates have different movements, for instance, towards each other, which is known as a convergent boundary. They also move apart to form a divergent boundary or past each other forming a transform boundary CITATION ETH21 \l 1033 (ETHZurich). Earth Science goes into detail on the components of the earth’s surface, providing more understanding through an increased optical relay of information CITATION Edw15 \l 1033 (Lutgens). The persistent motion of tectonic plates is responsible for a build-up of pressure that is then released by a sudden jerky movement. The rock strata on both sides of a fault are affected by the seismic energy resulting in waves that propagate through the ground. This causes shaking that is perceived as an earthquake. At the moment, tectonic earthquakes are responsible for the most recent earthquakes as they usually occur at the numerous boundaries of tectonic plates across the globe. Human activities are also responsible for induced earthquakes resulting from tunnel construction, fracking projects, and filling reservoirs CITATION ETH21 \l 1033 (ETHZurich). Another form of an earthquake is the collapse earthquake triggered by phenomena such as cave-ins, especially in areas with mining projects or karst areas.
Ground shaking is the most obvious effect of an earthquake which mostly depends on the strength of an earthquake. For instance, the Alaskan earthquake on 27 March 1964 recorded ground shaking activity that managed to last for almost seven minutes. A surge of energy that relentless means that the foundation of ...