Earthquakes are triggered by a variety of processes including volcanic eruptions, landslides, and even meteor strikes. But the most common cause of earthquakes lies deep below our feet in the form of plate tectonics
The powerful earthquakes that shook Turkey and Syria recently are among the most devastating and deadliest earthquakes in recent history. The death toll surpassed 12,000 across the two countries following a magnitude 7.8 earthquake. Spawning below Earth’s surface and carrying immense energy, earthquakes can strike without warning. It, therefore, comes as no surprise that they are one of our planet’s deadliest natural disasters.
An earthquake is the shaking of the surface of the Earth due to the sudden release of energy in the Earth’s crust, as a result, seismic waves (also known as S waves) are created. The seismic activities in an area determine the type and intensity of the earthquake.
As the famous saying goes “earthquakes don’t kill people, buildings do.” Humans have learned that preparedness and appropriate infrastructure are key. In today’s Classes With News18, let us learn what earthquakes are, how they occur, and which are the deadliest earthquakes the world has seen in the past few years.
What Causes an Earthquake?
Earthquakes are triggered by a variety of processes including volcanic eruptions, landslides, and even meteor strikes. But the most common cause of earthquakes lies deep below our feet in the form of plate tectonics. Earthquakes are caused due to sudden tectonic movements in the earth’s crust. When the tectonic plates slide over one another, there is cause of orogeny which results in earthquakes and volcanoes. These disturbances cause vibrations that spread in all directions.
As there is a relative motion of these plates, there is stress built up, which breaks by releasing the stored energy known as shock waves. This causes a release of energy, and the energy waves travel in all directions. The point where the energy is released is called the focus of an earthquake or hypo-centre. The point on the surface of the earth which is vertically above the focus is called the epicentre. It is the first place to experience the waves.
Rise in Earthquakes
Last year recorded over 11 earthquakes of 7.0 or more magnitude while there have been more than 100 quakes that had intensity between 6.0 and 6.9.
Can Earthquakes be Predicted?
Hundreds of thousands of people have died in major earthquakes over the past two decades alone. It is difficult to pinpoint the “worst” earthquake in history, because the strength of temblors – as well as damage, death tolls, and devastation to communities – ranges significantly. The Richter scale is perhaps the most well-known way of measuring an earthquake’s magnitude. Today we have a list of the deadliest earthquakes the world has seen in the past 25 years:
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