The 6 Deadliest Earthquakes since 1950 The Kashmir Earthquake (Pakistani-administered Kashmir) … The Sichuan Earthquake (Sichuan province, China) … The Great Peruvian Earthquake (western Peru) … The Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami (Indian Ocean basin) … The Great Tangshan Earthquake (northwestern China)
Secondary earthquake environmental effects (EEE) are induced by the ground shaking and are classified into ground cracks, slope movements, dust clouds, liquefactions, hydrological anomalies, tsunamis, trees shaking and jumping stones.
Earthquakes sometimes trigger tsunamis, landslides and occasionally volcanic activity. Earthquakes impact on food security and agriculture-based livelihoods through: loss and injury of family members and workforce. loss of crop yields and livestock.
Effects. Earthquakes often cause dramatic changes at Earth’s surface. In addition to the ground movements, other surface effects include changes in the flow of groundwater, landslides, and mudflows. Earthquakes can do significant damage to buildings, bridges, pipelines, railways, embankments, dams, and other structures
There are three main parts to an earthquake: the focus, or origin of the event; the seismic waves; and the fault along which the earthquake occurs.
There are two types of earthquakes: tectonic and volcanic earthquakes. Tectonic earthquakes are produced by sudden movement along faults and plate boundaries. Earthquakes induced by rising lava or magma beneath active volcanoes is called volcanic earthquakes.
We cannot prevent natural earthquakes from occurring but we can significantly mitigate their effects by identifying hazards, building safer structures, and providing education on earthquake safety. By preparing for natural earthquakes we can also reduce the risk from human induced earthquakes
The earliest recorded evidence of an earthquake has been traced back to 1831 BC in the Shandong province of China, but there is a fairly complete record starting in 780 BC during the Zhou Dynasty in China.
Robert Mallet realised that most earthquake damage is due to moving waves caused by a sudden land movement, named seismic waves.2
Earthquakes are the shaking, rolling or sudden shock of the Earth’s surface. They are the Earth’s natural means of releasing stress. They are caused by severe shock waves that travel through solid rocks from underground to the surface.
