Earthquakes
Plate Boundaries
Sketch the 3 type of plate boundaries
Pacific-North American Plate Boundary
Earthquake Study
• Seismology – the study of earthquakes (#27)
• Seismologist – person who studies earthquakes
Where?
• Most occur near tectonic plate boundaries
Causes
• Deformation – bending, tilting, and breaking of Earth’s crust (#28)
• Caused by plates pushing, pulling & sliding• 2 kinds of deformation
– Plastic – bends like piece of soft clay• No earthquake
– Elastic – stretches like a rubber band• Earthquake
Elastic Rebound• Elastic rebound – sudden return of elastically
deformed rock to its undeformed shape– Like a stretched rubber band that breaks and returns
to its unstretched shape, now in 2 pieces– Energy released as seismic waves
Normal
DivergentReverse
Convergent
Strike-slip
Transform
Body Waves• Seismic waves – waves of energy that travel through Earth, away
from an earthquake in all directions (#29)• Two types of body waves that travel through interior of Earth
– P waves• Primary waves (#30)• Pressure waves (#30)• Back and forth motion (#30)• Go through solid, liquid, gas• Fastest wave
– S waves• Secondary waves (#31)• Shear waves (#31)• Side to side motion (#31) • Go through solids only• Slower wave, 2nd to arrive
More Waves• Surface waves – waves
that move in top few km of the crust– Up, down, circular
motion– Back and forth motion
• Travel slower than body waves
• More destructive
Draw pictures of P and S Waves
Measurement• Seismograph – instrument that
records ground vibrations to find location and strength of earthquake
• Seismogram – tracing of earthquake motion created by a seismograph
• Epicenter – point on Earth’s surface directly above an earthquake (#32)
• Focus – point on a fault where earthquake motion first occurs (#33)
Earthquake Location
Finding Epicenter – Step 1• Scientists use the S-P Time Method
– Use a time-distance graph– S and P curves are already calculated– Determine distance away from epicenter for at least 3 seismograms
Finding Epicenter – Step 2
Earthquake Strength
• Richter Magnitude Scale –– Created in 1930s by Charles Richter– Magnitude measures strength of earthquake
by ground motion adjusted for distance from epicenter
– Each unit represents 10x increase in strength• 5.0 is 10x stronger than a 4.0• 6.0 is 100x stronger than a 4.0
Richter Magnitude Scale
Earthquake Intensity
• Intensity – degree to which earthquake is felt and amount of damage caused
• Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale– Numerical scale from I to XII– I not felt by people– XII total destruction
• Intensity values highest near epicenter
Earthquake Hazards
• How likely area is to have a damaging quake in the future
Earthquake Forecasting
Gap Hypothesis• Areas on active faults that haven’t had many
earthquakes are likely to be sites for future strong earthquakes.– Known as seismic gaps
Earthquake Preparations
• Resistant buildings– Mass damper– Active tendon
system– Base isolators– Cross braces– Flexible pipes
• Retrofitting– Reinforce columns– Fasten to foundation
What to do in an Earthquake• Before shaking
– Put heavy objects down low– Have an emergency meeting place– Store emergency supplies
• During shaking– Crouch or lie under a strong table or desk– Outside – lay down away from buildings, trees, power
lines– Stop car and stay inside
• After shaking– Stay calm and think– Get away from danger areas– Prepare for aftershocks– Follow emergency plan
Earthquake Examples
• Normal• Reverse• Strike slip
Normal Fault Example
Dixie Valley-Fairview Peaks, Nevada earthquakeDecember 16, 1954
Thrust Fault Example
Thrust Fault Example
Strike-slip Fault Example
Strike-slip Fault Example
1906 San Francisco Earthquake
Earthquake Effects
• Ground shaking• Liquefaction – solid earth turns to liquid• Surface faulting• Landslides • Fires• Tsunami
Earthquake Effects - Ground Shaking
KGO-TV News ABC-7
Loma Prieta, CA 1989
Earthquake Effects - Ground Shaking
Kobe, Japan 1995
Earthquake Effects - Liquefaction
Source: National Geophysical Data Center
Niigata, Japan 1964
Earthquake Effects - Surface Faulting
Landers, CA 1992
Earthquake Effects - Landslides
Turnagain Heights, Alaska,1964 (upper left inset);Santa Cruz Mtns, California , 1989
Source: National Geophysical Data Center
Earthquake Effects - Fires
KGO-TV News ABC-7
Loma Prieta, CA 1989
Earthquake Effects - Tsunamis
Photograph Credit: Henry Helbush. Source: National Geophysical Data Center
1957 Aleutian Tsunami