Classification of Earthquakes

BASED ON LOCATION:

Interplate Intraplate

An interplate earthquake is one that occurs at a An intraplate earthquake is

plate boundary an earthquake that occurs in the interior of
a tectonic plate
Recurrence time is less Recurrence time is longer
Interplate Earthquakes are recognized at surface Intraplate earthquakes are rarely recognized
at the surface. This is because the faults are
buried under several kilometers of surface
materials & the longer recurrence intervals
allow any surface expression of faulting to be
eroded.
Interplate earthquakes release less stress & are Intraplate earthquakes release more stress.
dissipated quickly because of weaker rocks near The ground motion caused by intraplate
plate boundaries. earthquake seismic waves dissipates more
slowly. The strong, coherent rocks that make
up the interiors of plates transmit seismic
energy more efficiently over longer distances
than the less coherent, weaker rocks near
plate boundaries.

BASED ON FOCAL DEPTH:

Shallow Earthquake Deep Earthquake

Shallow-focus earthquakes occur at depths less Deep-focus earthquakes occur at greater

than 70 km focal depths of 300 – 700 km.
Shallow focus earthquakes are found within the Deep focus earthquakes occur within the
earth’s outer crustal layer deeper subduction zones of the earth
Shallow focus earthquakes are of smaller Deep focus earthquakes are of higher
magnitudes, of a range 1 to 5 magnitudes, 6 to 8 or more.
Less energy is released during a shallow focus Tremendous energy accumulates during a
earthquakes deep focus earthquake
Shallow focus earthquakes happen frequently Deep focus earthquakes occur every 20 to
and at random within the earth’s crust, often 30 years along a given fault line.
going unrecorded
Shallow focus earthquakes are barely perceived Deep focus earthquakes leave a deeper
and are rarely destructive
Shallow-focus earthquakes begin where the
crustal plates of the earth are moving against
one another
During shallow focus earthquakes, rocks and
plates buckle, deform and fault.
Shallow focus earthquakes are called crustal
earthquakes as they exist in the earth’s crustal
layer.
impact on civilisation with widespread
destruction and permanent changes within
the earth’s geology, giving rise to tsunamis.
Whereas deep-focus earthquakes begin
where one tectonic plate moves under
another or sub-ducts, at the boundary of
oceanic and continental plates.
In the deep focus earthquakes, the rocks
being at greater depths and extremely hot
under high pressure, deform by flowing,
rather than breaking and faulting.
Deep focus earthquakes are known as intra
plate earthquakes, as they are triggered off
by collision between plates.

BASED ON THE CAUSE:

Non Tectonic Earthquakes: These are due to volcanic activities and man made reasons e.g, nuclear
testing, blasts, construction of large dams, deforestation etc

Tectonic Earthquakes: These are due to sudden slip in the fault of the tectonic plates of the earth.

BASED ON THE MAGNITUDE OF THE EARTHQUAKE:

Class Magnitude
Great 8 or more
Major 7 – 7.9
Strong 6 – 6.9
Moderate 5 – 5.9
Light 4 – 4.9
Minor 3 -3.9
BASED ON EPICENTRE DISTANCE

During an earthquake seismic waves propagate spherically out from the hypocenter. Seismic
shadowing occurs on the opposite side of the Earth from the earthquake epicenter because the liquid outer
core refracts the longitudinal or compressional (P-waves) while it absorbs the transverse or shear waves (S-
waves). Outside of the seismic shadow zone both types of wave can be detected but, due to their different
velocities and paths through the Earth, they arrive at different times. By measuring the time difference on
any seismograph as well as the distance on a travel-time graph at which the P-wave and S-wave have the
same separation, geologists can calculate the distance to the earthquake’s epicenter. This distance is called
the epicentral distance, commonly measured in ° (degrees) and denoted as Δ (delta) in seismology.

Local Earthquakes: Affected area is very less, within 1 degree of the epicenter of the earthquake

Regional Earthquakes: 1 degree to 10 degree

Teleseismic Earthquakes: greater than 10 degrees

Typical Frequencies generated by different seismic sources

Frequency (Hz) Type of measurements

0.00001-0.0001 Earth tides

0.0001-0.001 Earth free oscillations, earthquake

0.001-0.01 Surface wave, earthquake

0.01-0.1 Surface wave, P and S waves, earthquakes with M>6

0.1- 10 P and S waves, earthquakes with M>2

10 - 1000 P and S waves, earthquakes with M<2

An aftershock is a smaller earthquake that occurs after a previous large earthquake, in the
same area of the main shock. If an aftershock is larger than the main shock, the aftershock is
redesignated as the main shock and the original main shock is redesignated as a foreshock.
Aftershocks are formed as the crust around the displaced fault plane adjusts to the effects of
the main shock.

Most aftershocks are located over the full area of fault rupture and either occur along the fault
plane itself or along other faults within the volume affected by the strain associated with the
main shock. Typically, aftershocks are found up to a distance equal to the rupture length away
from the fault plane.

The pattern of aftershocks helps confirm the size of area that slipped during the main shock. In
the case of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and the 2008 Sichuan earthquake the
aftershock distribution shows in both cases that the epicenter (where the rupture initiated) lies
to one end of the final area of slip, implying strongly asymmetric rupture propagation.

Aftershocks are dangerous because they are usually unpredictable, can be of a large
magnitude, and can collapse buildings that are damaged from the main shock. Bigger
earthquakes have more and larger aftershocks and the sequences can last for years or even
longer especially when a large event occurs in a seismically quiet area; see, for example,
the New Madrid Seismic Zone, where events still follow Omori's law from the main shocks of
1811–1812. An aftershock sequence is deemed to have ended when the rate of seismicity
drops back to a background level; i.e., no further decay in the number of events with time can
be detected.

FOCAL MECHANISM / FALUT PLANE SOLUTION

In any given direction P waves radiate from focus as compression or dilatation. The pattern of
initial motion (first motion) characterizes the nature of the fault motion that produced the
earthquake (normal, reverse, strike-slip)

The first shock reveals a good deal about the nature of the fault. Depending on whether a
particular area is compressed or extended by movement along the fault, the first motion p-
wave will be upwards (positive) or downwards (negative), respectively.
The pattern of first motions obtained from a number of seismic stations can be summarized on
a stereogram, depicting quadrants of compression and dilation.

 On a stereonet there are two planes, drawn along great circles, separating the
compressional (positive) p-waves from the extensional (negative) p-waves.
 These planes are known as nodal planes.
 From this we can infer nature of faulting. focal mechanism solutions (black-
compression, white- dilatation).
How to identify a nuclear explosion?
(1) First motion studies - an explosion only generates compressive first waves, no dilational
first arrivals. Fault plane solution is :

(2) Usual Mb, Ms relations do not hold for nuclear explosions: