TOPIC NAME:

CLASSIFICATIONS OF EARTHQUAKES

PRESENTED BY: ER. HARLEEN KAUR SANDHU

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

 CLASSIFICATION OF EARTHQUAKES

Earthquakes occurring over the surface of

the earth may be classified as below:
1. On the basis of the location. (
https://youtu.be/OuNXuxA3p7s)
2. On the basis of their cause.
3. On the basis of focal depth.
4. On the basis of intensity / magnitude.
 1. ON THE BASIS OF LOCATION

On the basis of location , the earthquake are

classified as :
a. Inter plate earthquake
b. Intra plate earthquake

Interplate earthquake:
 The earthquake which occur along the boundaries of the tectonic
plates are termed as interplate earthquake.

 Most of the earthquakes in the world are interplate earthquakes.

 For example : Assam earthquake of 1897 having magnitude of

8.7 on Richer scale.
  INTRAPLATE EARTHQUAKE :
The earthquake which occur within the plate
itself away from the tectonic plate boundaries
are termed as Intraplate earthquakes .

For example : Latur earthquake of 1993, which

occurred in Maharashtra having magnitude of
6.2 on Richer scale.
 2. ON THE BASIS OF THEIR CAUSE

On the basis of their cause of occurrence, the

earthquake are mainly classified into two groups :
a. Non- Tectonic earthquakes.
b. Tectonic earthquakes(https://
youtu.be/t1wdrzzQOqY

Non- Tectonic earthquakes:

The earthquakes which are of non-tectonic
origin are termed as non-tectonic earthquakes.

These are further classified as:

i. Superficial earthquakes,
which are caused by dynamic agencies operating upon
the surface of the earth.

ii. Volcanic earthquakes,

which occur of tectonic origin and occur due to
structural disturbances within the earth’s crust are
called tectonic earthquakes.
SUPERFICIAL CAUSES
VOLCANIC CAUSES
TECTONIC EARTHQUAKE
 3. ON THE BASIS OF FOCAL DEPTH

On the basis of focal depth i.e. the depth of

focus from the epicentre , the earthquakes are
classified into:

a. Shallow earthquakes
.
b. Intermediate earthquakes
c. Deep earthquakes
 Shallow earthquakes:
The earthquakes in which focal depth is
limited up to the 71 km are called shallow
earthquakes or normal earthquakes

Intermediate earthquakes:
Those earthquakes in which focal depth varies
from 71 km to 300 km are called as
intermediate earthquakes.

Deep earthquakes:
Those earthquakes in which focal depth
is greater than 300 km are called as deep
earthquakes.
4. ON THE BASIS OF INTENSITY /
MAGNITUDE

On the basis of their intensity, the earthquake

are generally classified as:

1. Instrumental
2. Very feeble
3. Moderate
4. Fairly strong
5. Strong
6. Very strong
7. Destructive
8. Ruinous
9. Disastrous
10. Very disastrous and
11. catastrophic
On the basis of their magnitude (M), the
earthquake are classified as:

1. Micro earthquake ( M<3.0)

2. Intermediate earthquake ( M3-4)
3. Moderate earthquake ( M5-5.9)
4. Strong earthquake ( M6-6.9)
5. Major earthquake ( M7-7.9)
6. Great earthquake ( M>8.0)
 REFERENCES

TEXT BOOK OF EARTHQUAKE

RESISTANT BUILDING
CONSTRUCTION BY JAGROOP
SINGH AND RAJIV BHATIA