E ART H QU AK E

WHAT IS EARTHQUAKE?

Earthquake refers to the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that
creates seismic waves. It may also refer to sudden and violent shaking of the ground,
sometimes causing great destruction.
WHAT CAUSES EARTHQUAKES?

• An earthquake is caused by a sudden slip on a fault. Stresses in the earth's outer layer push
the sides of the fault together.
• Stress builds up and the rocks slips suddenly, releasing energy in waves that travel through the
earth's crust and cause the shaking that we feel during an earthquake. An EQ occurs when
plates grind and scrape against each other.
TYPES OF FAULT

The form of faulting depends upon the type of plate motion and nature of rocks.

STRIKE-SLIP THRUST NORMAL

STRIKE SLIP FAULT

• Strike-slip faults are vertical (or nearly vertical) fractures where the blocks have mostly moved
horizontally.
• If the block opposite an observer looking across the fault moves to the right, the slip style is termed
right lateral.
• if the block moves to the left, the motion is termed left lateral.
THRUST FAULT
A thrust fault is a type of fault, or break in the Earth's crust across which there has been relative
movement, in which rocks of lowerstratigraphic position are pushed up and over higher strata. They
are often recognized because they place older rocks above younger. Thrust faults are the result of
compressional forces.
NORMAL FAULT

A fault in which the hanging wall has moved downward relative to the footwall.
EARTHQUAKE TERMS

• MAGNITUDE : Magnitude is used to describe the size of

the Earthquake. There are a number of different ways to
calculate the magnitude of an earthquake, including the
Richter Scale. Scientists also use the moment magnitude
scale, which calculates the magnitude of an earthquake based
on physical properties such as the area of movement (slip)
along the fault plane

• MODIFIED MERCALLI SCALE : The Modified Mercalli

scale is another way sometimes used to measure an
earthquake. This scale is based on what people in the area
felt and how much damage was done during the earthquake.
This scale is in roman numerals

• SEISMOLOGY : Seismology is the study of earthquakes.

People who study earthquakes are called Seismologists.
• AFTERSHOCK : Aftershocks are smaller
earthquakes that may occur after the main earthquake
in the same area. They are caused by the area
readjusting to the fault movement, and some may be
the result of continuing movement along the same
fault zone.

• FORESHOCK : Foreshocks are smaller earthquakes

occur in the same area as a larger earthquake that
follows. Not all earthquakes have foreshocks or
aftershocks. Sometimes a series of similar sized
earthquakes, called an earthquake swarm, happens
over months without being followed by a significantly
larger earthquake.

• WAVES : Earthquake waves travel through and on

top of the surface of Earth causing the shaking and
vibrations on the ground. Earthquake waves can travel
hundreds of kilometers causing earthquakes to be felt
a long way away from the origin
EARTHQUAKE SWARMS
Earthquake swarms are sequences of earthquakes striking in a specific area within a short period
of time. They are different from earthquakes followed by a series of aftershocks by the fact that no
single earthquake in the sequence is obviously the main shock, therefore none have notable
higher magnitudes than the other.
SEISMIC WAVES
• When an earthquake occurs, the energy is dissipated into the surrounding medium through
seismic waves.
• Seismic waves are the waves of energy caused by the sudden breaking of rock within the earth or
an explosion.
• They are the energy that travels through the earth and is recorded on seismographs.
TYPE OF SEISMIC WAVES

• There are several different kinds of seismic waves, and they all move in different ways.
• The two main types of waves are BODY WAVES and SURFACE WAVES.
• Body waves can travel through the earth's inner layers, but surface waves can only move along
the surface of the planet like ripples on water.
• Earthquakes radiate seismic energy as both body and surface waves.
BODY WAVES
p- and s- waves are known as “body” waves. The velocities of both can be measured via seismic refraction.

Compressional Waves (“p” waves) are identical to Shear Waves (“s” waves) are characterized by
sound waves – the particle motion is parallel to the particle motion that is perpendicular to the
propagation direction: propagation direction:
SURFACE WAVES
Surface Waves, as the name implies, travel primarily along the ground surface; amplitudes decrease rapidly
with depth. There are two types of surface waves. Like body waves, they are characterized by particle motion.

• Rayleigh waves are characterized by elliptical
motion perpendicular to the surface:
• In the near surface, this motion is “retrograde”,
meaning that it is counter-clockwise when the
propagation is left-to-right. At depth, the motion
can reverse to prograde.
• Love Waves are created when particles vibrate
perpendicular to the propagation direction:
• While the particle motion is similar to that of
shear waves, Love wave amplitude is much higher
and decreases rapidly with depth. Love waves are
the most destructive waves in earthquakes because
of their high amplitude and transverse particle
motion.
HOW IS EARTHQUAKE INTENSITY MEASURED?

There are currently two “measuring” schemes used to “quantify” or “qualify” the destructiveness
or power of an earthquake.

1) The Mercalli Intensity scale (it is qualitatively based)

2) The Richter Magnitude scale (it is quantitatively based)

 HOW COMMON ARE EARTHQUAKES?

Magnitude (Richter Scale) Number per Year

0 – 3.4 >800,000

4.9 – 5.4 1400

5.5 – 6.1 500

7.0 – 7.3 15

>8 1 every 10 years

INDUCED SEISMICITY

Induced seismicity refers to typically minor earthquakes and

tremors that are caused by human activity that alters the
stresses and strains on the Earth's crust. Most induced
seismicity is of a low magnitude.
CAUSES
• Artificial lakes
• Mining
• Waste disposal wells
• Hydrocarbon extraction and storage
• Groundwater extraction
• Geothermal energy
 EFFECTS OF EARTHQUAKE

Shaking and Ground Rupture

Landslides and Avalanches

Fires

Soil Liquefaction (This is the process of loose soil acting like a liquid during an earthquake.)

Tsunami

Flood
HUMAN IMPACTS

An earthquake may cause injury and loss of life, road and bridge damage, general property
damage (which may or may not be covered by earthquake insurance), and collapse or
destabilization (potentially leading to future collapse) of buildings. The aftermath may bring
disease, lack of basic necessities, and higher insurance premiums.
 PREDICTION

• Many methods have been developed for predicting the time and place in which
earthquakes will occur. Despite considerable research efforts by seismologists,
scientifically reproducible predictions cannot yet be made to a specific day or month.
However, for well-understood faults the probability that a segment may rupture during the
next few decades can be estimated.

• Earthquake warning systems have been developed that can provide regional
notification of an earthquake in progress, but before the ground surface has begun to move,
potentially allowing people within the system's range to seek shelter before the earthquake's
impact is felt.
PREVENTION

Safeguard your home by :

• Bolting bookshelves, water heaters and cabinets to wall studs.
• Anchoring things so that they will not move or fall during an earthquake is the most important thing
you can do to make yourself safe. Keeping things in place also means they will not break.

Become familiar with earthquake terms:

• Aftershocks
• Epicenter
• Fault
• Focus
• Intensity
• Magnitude
• Mercalli Scale
• Tidal wave
• Tsunami
DURING EARTHQUAKE

• Get under a heavy table or desk and hold on, or sit or stand against an inside wall.

• Keep away from windows.

• If indoors, stay indoors.

• If outdoors, stay outdoors away from falling debris, trees and power lines.

• If in a car, stay in the car.

• Many injuries occur when people act on their impulse to run.

• Train yourself to take cover where you are.

RESPONSES INSIDE BUILDINGS DURING AN EARTHQUAKE

1. Drop, cover, and hold on.

2. Get under a table.
3. If there are no tables, get under or down between rows of chairs or against inner walls.
4. Do not stand in a doorway. Buildings today have so much partitioning, much of which is
temporary, that many doorways are actually weak points. Doorways are not a good solution in a
group situation either.
5. If you have nothing to get under, sit down against an interior wall or next to a chair, holding on if
possible.
6. If you are in bed, it's best to stay there, hold on, and pull the pillows over your head for
protection.
7. If children are in another room, take cover in the closest safe place and call to them to do the
same.
 RESPONSES IF YOU ARE OUTSIDE DURING AN EARTHQUAKE

• Outside, get away from buildings, walls, trees and power lines.

• If you cannot get clear of hazards, getting back inside a building is better than staying on the

sidewalk.

• Sidewalks next to buildings are among the worst places to be.

• In a car, ease off the accelerator and slow down carefully. Do not stop on or under

overpasses and bridges if you can avoid them. Be aware of what traffic around you is doing

and act accordingly.

• If you live in coastal areas, be aware of possible tsunamis.

AFTER EARTHQUAKE
• Take basic precautions immediately after an earthquake. In addition to those outlined
in the General Family Preparedness, Residential Fires and Hazardous Materials
Accidents sections you should:
• Expect aftershocks.
• Avoid using vehicles except in emergencies.
• Check yourself for injuries and protect yourself by putting on shoes, work gloves and
any other protective gear at hand.
• If the electricity is off, turn on a flashlight.
• Once you are sure that you're all right, check the people around you for injuries.
• You might ask loudly, "Is everyone okay?" This will also help calm people.
• The types of injuries that happen most often in an earthquake include cuts,
bruises, fractures and physiological shock.
• Check the entire building for structural damage and chemical spills. Refer to the section on
Hazardous Materials Accidents for further response information.
• Check chimneys for cracks and damage. The initial check should be made from a distance.
Have a professional inspect the chimney for internal damage that could lead to fire.
 FIVE MAJOR EARTHQUAKES IN INDIA

1934, Bihar 8.1 Richter Scale 10,500 Deaths

1950, Assam 8.6 Richter Scale 1,526 Deaths

1991, Uttarkashi 6.1 Richter Scale 3210 Deaths
1993, Maharashtra 6.4 Richter Scale 15,854 Deaths
2001, Gujarat 7.7 Richter Scale 12,300 Deaths
THANK YOU