EARTHQUAKES

Earthquakes are probably one of the most frightening and

destructive happenings of nature that man experiences. The effects of
an earthquake are often terrible. Earthquakes have caused the death of
many human beings, much suffering, and great damage. Today, the
5 study of earthquakes has grown greatly as scientists all over the world
study the causes of earthquakes. Scientists hope that their studies will
improve the ways of predicting earthquakes and also develop ways to
reduce their destructive effects.
The scientific study of earthquakes is somewhat new. Until the
10 18th century, few factual descriptions of earthquakes were recorded.
In general, people did not understand the cause of earthquakes. Many
believed that they were a punishment from God. One early theory was
that earthquakes were caused by air rushing out of caverns deep in the
interior of the earth.
15 On November 1, 1755, a serious earthquake occurred near Lisbon,
Portugal. Shocks from the quake were felt in many parts of the world.
After the quake, Portuguese priests were asked to observe the effects
and to make written records. These records were the first scientific
steps to write down the effects of an earthquake. Since that time,
20 detailed records have been kept of almost every major earthquake.
Most earthquakes occur in areas around the Pacific Ocean. This
belt of areas is called the 'ring of fire' and includes the Pacific coasts
of North and South America, the Aleutian Islands, Japan, Southeast
Asia, and Australia. Half a million people within the 'ring of fire' have
25 died because of earthquakes and much valuable property has been
severely damaged or destroyed.
An earthquake is the oscillatory, sometimes violent, movement of
the earth's surface that comes after a release of energy in the crust of
the earth. Most destructive quakes are caused by the dislocation of the
30 crust. Forces from beneath the surface of the earth cause the crust to
bend and then break and the rocks on the surface move into a new
position. The breaking of the rocks causes vibrations called 'seismic
waves'. These vibrations travel from the source of the earthquake to
distant places along the surface of the earth. The seismic waves cause
35 the entire planet to tremble or ring like a bell.
The vibrations produced by earthquakes are discovered, recorded,
and measured by instruments called seismographs. Vibrations are of
two general types: surface waves and body waves. Surface waves
travel along the earth's surface and body waves travel through the
34
40 earth. Surface waves usually have the strongest vibrations and
probably cause most of the damage done by earthquakes.
Currently, scientists are making studies to predict earthquakes. At
the present time, scientists do not have the knowledge required to
predict the time and size of earthquakes. However, a large group of
45 scientists at the National Centre for Earthquake Research in
California, has been able to predict the areas where earthquakes might
occur. Research at the centre about the physical and chemical nature
of rocks and their behaviour under the force of an earthquake will help
engineers to design and build structure for areas that often suffer from
50 earthquakes.