What is an earthquake? Discuss the causes and consiquence of earth?
Answers
what is an earthquake?
an earthquake is a sudden violent shaking of the ground, typically causing great destruction, as a result of movements within the earth's crust or volcanic action.
causes of earthquake:
Earthquakes are usually caused when the rock underground suddenly breaks along a fault. This sudden release of energy causes the seismic waves that make the ground shake. When two blocks of rock or two plates are rubbing against each other, they cause an earthquake.
effects of earthquake on earth:
Most of the worst earthquakes are associated with changes in the shape of Earth’s outermost shell, particularly the crust. These so-called tectonic earthquakes are generated by the rapid release of strain energy that is stored within the rocks of the crust, which on continents is about 22 miles (35 kilometers) thick. A small proportion of earthquakes are associated with human activity. Dynamite or atomic explosions, for example, can sometimes cause mild quakes. The injection of liquid wastes deep into the ground and the pressures resulting from holding vast amounts of water in reservoirs behind large dams can also trigger minor earthquakes.
The strongest and most destructive quakes are associated with ruptures of crust, which are known as faults. Although faults are present in most regions of the world, earthquakes are not associated with all of them. Pressures from within Earth strain the tectonic plates that make up the crust. The strain builds until suddenly the plates move along faults, thereby releasing energy. The plates slip and slide in opposite directions along this fracture in the rock, shaking the ground above. The masses may move up and down, sideways, or vertically and horizontally. On Earth’s surface displacement of the ground may vary from a few inches to many feet (or several centimeters to many meters). Some fault lines appear on the surface.
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