Earthquakes:
What in the World's Are They?
An earthquake is a shaking of the earth caused by pieces of the earth's crust that suddenly shift.
The crust (thin outer layer) is cold and brittle rock compared to the hot rock deeper inside. This crust is full of large and small cracks called faults. These faults can be hundreds of miles long, but it is hard for you to see them because they are buried deep underground. There are many earthquake "faults" or cracks in the earth that are prone to quakes such as the San Andreas Fault in the USA.
A sudden shift in the rock shakes all of the rock around it. These vibrations are called seismic waves which travel outward in all directions causing the earthquake. The underground location where the rock first shifts or breaks apart is called an EPICENTER.
Where in the World's Are There Earthquakes?
| Earthman says "Earthquakes give me the Shakes!" |
 |
Earthquakes can happen most anywhere. They can be so strong they can topple buildings and destroy whole cities. When there is a large quake, aftershocks, fires and tsunami are soon to follow.
There have been many famous Earthquakes in recent years such as the KOBE Earthquake, and the Southern Sumatra, Indonesia, Eastern Sichuan, China, Samoa Islands region, Offshore Maule, Chile and the San Francisco Earthquake.
To get a list of the largest and deadliest earthquakes go here
Go here to the National Earthquake Information Center learn more specific information about quakes at USGS and to track them in real time
World's Biggest Earthquake
Largest Earthquake in the world was
the Chilean Earthquake which occurred May 22, 1960 19:11:14 UTC, with a magnitude of 9.5!
The Largest Earthquakes Ever On Record:
Location - Date- Magnitude -
1. Chile 1960 9.5
2. Prince William Sound, Alaska 1964 9.2
3. Off the West Coast of Northern Sumatra, Indonesia2004 9.1
4. Kamchatka 1952 9.0
5. Offshore Maule, Chile 2010 8.8
6. Off the Coast of Ecuador 1906 8.8
7. Rat Islands, Alaska 1965 8.7
8. Northern Sumatra, Indonesia 2005 8.6
9. Assam - Tibet 1950 8.6
10. Andreanof Islands, Alaska 1957 8.6
11. Southern Sumatra, Indonesia 2007 8.5
12. Banda Sea, Indonesia 1938 8.5
13. Kamchatka 1923 8.5
14. Chile-Argentina Border 1922 8.5
15. Kuril Islands 1963 8.5
Updated 2010 March 29
Learn about other natural disasters: Tsunamis, Volcanoes,Tornadoes, Earthquakes.
|
