Earthquakes



An earthquake is a shaking of the ground caused by the sudden breaking and movement of tectonic plates of the earth's rocky outermost crust. The edges of the tectonic plates are marked by faults. Most earthquakes occur along the fault lines when the plates slide past each other or collide against each other.




 * What is being done to protect people in earthquake prone areas? **

To protect people in earthquake prone areas, most buildings are designed to be earthquake safe by using materials that bend and sway such as wood and steel. There can also be water tanks to help reudce the wavering of buildings in earthquakes, for example: two 300,000 litre water tanks are put in at the Eureka tower on the highest levels to stop the building from collapsing in natural disasters. People can also take precaution by preparing an earthquake kit with at least 3 days supply of water and food. Also an escape plan should be prepared, on how you will evacuate the property and where you will go. Everyone in the household who is capable should know basic first aid and CPR. = =



= = = = =__**How an earthquake can lead to a Tsunami?** __= A tsunami is usually caused by a powerful earthquake under the ocean floor. This earthquake pushes a large volume of water to the surface, creating waves. These waves are the tsunami. In the deep ocean these waves are small. As they approach the coast these waves get bigger and more dangerous. Tsunami waves can cause tremendous damage when they reach land. A tsunami can also be triggered by a volcanic eruption, landslide, or other movements of the Earth’s surface.



**__Effects of a recent tsunami: The Japan Tsunami __** Japan was hit by an enormous earthquake on March 11, 2011, that caused a deadly 23-foot tsunami in the country's north. The giant waves flooded cities and rural areas alike, sweeping away cars, homes, buildings, trains, and boats, leaving a path of death and devastation in its wake. Video footage showed cars racing away from surging waves. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued warnings for Russia, Taiwan, Hawaii, Indonesia, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and the west coasts the U.S., Mexico, Central America, and South America. As of June, tens of thousands of people were still in temporary shelters and over 24,000 were confirmed dead or missing.




 * Japan Earthquake 2011 **


 * An example of an earthquake and the damage/loss of life it led to **

There was a massive 9.0 magnitude earthquake in Japan which happened on the 11th of March this year. The centre of the earthquake was 72 km east of the Oshika Peninsula of Tohoku, Japan and went for about six minutes. The nearest major city was Sendai, 130 km away, on the main island of Honshu.



This earthquake received a lot of media coverage all around the world because of its shocking effects on people. It was named the worst to have ever hit Japan and was also named one of the 5 worst earthquakes recorded in history. A tsunami followed shortly after the earthquake and it was because of this tsunami that it caused a big loss of life and destroyed entire towns. Coastal cities and towns were swallowed up by tsunamis as high as 10 metres caused by the main quake. This had been followed by big, regular aftershocks, as strong as 7.4 on the Richter scale.

Within two hours of the first shock, which took place at 2.46 p.m., giant waves and rushes of sea spread as far as 10 kilometres inland, tearing down houses, farms and factories, residents didn’t have a lot of time to seek shelter. 15,690 people died from the earthquake/tsunami, 5,714 were injured, and 4,753 were still missing according to August 11, 2011. This death toll was bigger than the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake’s. The government of Japan said that the damage from the earthquake and tsunami cost as much as $309 billion which is almost four times the damage done by Hurricane Katrina in the USA.

The prime minister also called on a nuclear emergency evacuation a day after the earthquake, when two nuclear power plants malfunctioned because of fires that had broken out inside and caused fears of radioactive leaks. Three other power plants were shut down safely, but 80,000 residents that lived within a distance of a 10-kilometre radius around the facility were evacuated.







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