Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Dr Sujatha Unnikrishnan
Associate Professor
Department of Civil Engineering
Instructions to students
Earthquake
● Earthquake is the disturbance that happens at some depth
below the ground level which causes vibrations at the ground
surface.
● These vibrations happen in all the directions and are totally
uncertain.
● These vibrations are momentary, happening for a short
while.
● Earthquakes are totally unpredictable.
● Earthquake is the shaking or trembling caused by the
sudden release of energy below the ground.
Earthquake
Zones of divergence
Zones of divergence
Zones of convergence
● \
● On collision-the two plates are pushed upwards against each other, they form
major mountain systems such as the Himalayas.
Transform zones
Earthquake
Seismic waves
● During earthquake waves spread out through the earth.
● Large strain energy released during an earthquake travels in
the form of seismic waves in all directions.
● As the waves radiate from the fault, they undergo geometric
spreading and attenuation due to loss of energy in the rocks.
Since the interior of the earth consists of heterogeneous
formations, the waves undergo multiple reflections,
retraction, dispersion and attenuation as they travel.
● The seismic waves arriving at a site on the surface of the
earth are a result of complex superposition giving rise to
irregular motion
Excellence and Service
CHRIST
Deemed to be University
Seismic waves
S waves
𝐸
where G = is the shear modulus.
2 1+ν
Surface waves
Rayleigh waves
Love waves
● Love waves are similar to “S” waves; they are shear waves
that diminishes rapidly with distance below surface.
Terminology
Terminology
Intensity scale
Intensity scale
Intensity scale
Intensity scale
Intensity scale
Magnitude
Richter Magnitude, ML
● Damage structures
● In regions consisting of hills and slopes – earthquake may cause
landslide- which might damage buildings and lead to loss of life
● Liquefaction- when earthquake shakes wet sandy soil, soil particles
move apart, allowing water to seep in between them. There is a
sudden reduction of shear resistance and the soil will behave like a
fluid.
○ Buildings will lean or topple
○ After earthquake, soil consolidates-further damage to buildings
○ Displacement of retaining walls
Measuring Instruments
● The instrument that measures earthquake shaking, a seismograph,
has three components - the sensor, the recorder and the timer.
● The principle on which it works - a pen attached at the tip of an
oscillating simple pendulum (a mass hung by a string from a support)
marks on a chart paper that is held on a drum rotating at a constant
speed.
● A magnet around the string provides required damping to control the
amplitude of oscillations.
● The pendulum mass, string, magnet and support together constitute
the sensor; the drum, pen and chart paper constitute the recorder; and
the motor that rotates the drum at constant speed forms the timer.
Classification of seismographs
Classification of earthquakes
ke mitude
● M< 2.5, Usually not felt, but can be recorded
● M 2.5 – 5.4, Often felt, but only cause minor damage
Question
Seismic zoning
References