AGU
Civil Eng Dept
Int to Earhtquake Eng
Classification of Earthquakes
A. BASED ON LOCATION
Interplate
An interplate earthquake is one that
occurs at a plate boundary
Recurrence time is less
Interplate Earthquakes are
recognized at surface
Interplate earthquakes release less
stress & are dissipated quickly
because of weaker rocks near plate
boundaries.
Intraplate
An intraplate earthquake is an earthquake that
occurs in the interior of a tectonic plate
Recurrence time is longer
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.
Intraplate earthquakes release more stress. The
ground motion caused by intraplate 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.
AGU
Civil Eng Dept
Int to Earhtquake Eng

Figure 1. Distribution of seismicity associated with the New Madrid Seismic Zone (since 1974). This
zone of intense earthquake activity is located deep within the interior of the North American plate.
(Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/)

Figure 2. Map showing Earth's lithosphere divided into 15 principal tectonic plates (Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/)
AGU
Civil Eng Dept
Int to Earhtquake Eng

B. BASED ON FOCAL DEPTH:

Shallow Earthquake Deep Earthquake

Shallow-focus earthquakes occur Deep-focus earthquakes occur at greater focal

at depths less than 70 km depths of 300 – 700 km.

Shallow focus earthquakes are Deep focus earthquakes occur within the deeper
found within the earth’s outer subduction zones of the earth
crustal layer

Shallow focus earthquakes are of Deep focus earthquakes are of higher

smaller magnitudes, of a range 1 magnitudes, 6 to 8 or more.
to 5

Less energy is released during Tremendous energy accumulates during a deep

shallow focus earthquakes focus earthquake

Shallow focus earthquakes happen Deep focus earthquakes occur every 20 to 30

frequently and at random within years along a given fault line.
the earth’s crust, often going
unrecorded

Shallow focus earthquakes are Deep focus earthquakes leave a deeper impact on
barely perceived and are rarely civilization with widespread destruction and
destructive permanent changes within the earth’s geology,
giving rise to tsunamis.

Shallow-focus earthquakes begin Whereas deep-focus earthquakes begin where

where the crustal plates of the one tectonic plate moves under another or sub-
earth are moving against one ducts, at the boundary of oceanic and continental
another plates.

During shallow focus earthquakes, In the deep focus earthquakes, the rocks being at
rocks and plates buckle, deform greater depths and extremely hot under high
and fault. pressure, deform by flowing, rather than breaking
and faulting.

Shallow focus earthquakes are Deep focus earthquakes are known as intra plate
called crustal earthquakes as they earthquakes, as they are triggered off by collision
exist in the earth’s crustal layer. between plates.
AGU
Civil Eng Dept
Int to Earhtquake Eng

Figure 3. Focus, focal depth, epicenter & epicentral distance (Source:

http://mzsengineeringtechnologies.blogspot.in/2015/08/element-of-civil-andenvironmental.html)

C. BASED ON THE CAUSE:

Non-Tectonic Earthquakes: These are due to i) volcanic activities and ii) 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.
AGU
Civil Eng Dept
Int to Earhtquake Eng

D. 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
AGU
Civil Eng Dept
Int to Earhtquake Eng

E. 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 waves 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 degrees

Teleseismic Earthquakes: greater than 10 degrees