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Earthquakes

7

Haiti Earthquake (1/11)

An injured child receives medical treatment after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake occurred about 25 kilometers (16 miles) west of Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince on the afternoon of January 12, 2010.

The quake killed an estimated 100,000 to 200,000 people, toppled the presidential palace and hillside shanties alike, leaving the poor Caribbean nation appealing for international help. Three million people were affected by the earthquake. (Photo: Reuters)

What is an Earthquake? (2/11)

Officials inspect a collapsed road caused by an earthquake in Nagaoka, Japan, in July 2007.

An earthquake is a sudden shaking of the ground, caused most commonly by breaking and shifting of large tectonic plates that form the Earth’s surface. However, volcanic activity, landslides, mine blasts, or nuclear experiments can also cause earthquakes. (Photo: /Reuters)

Size and Frequency of Earthquakes (3/11)

More than 1.5 million earthquakes occur every year, but only about 150 have a magnitude of 6 or higher. About 90 percent of all earthquakes occur in countries stretching along the edges of the Pacific Ocean such as Japan, Indonesia, California and Alaska in the U.S., Guatemala, Chile, and Peru.

The image shows cumulative global earthquake occurrences from 1960 through 1995, with earthquakes shown as yellow dots. (Photo: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio)

Measuring Earthquakes (4/11)

A technician at the French National Seismic Survey Institute points at a graph registered during an earthquake that hit eastern France on February 24, 2004.

When tectonic plates break, vibrations called „seismic waves“ are generated, traveling outward from the source of the earthquake. These waves are recorded with a seismometer, or seismograph. The magnitude of the earthquake is then estimated on the moment magnitude scale which is the successor to the Richter scale. (Photo: Reuters)

Impacts (5/11)

A crane pulls crushed cars out of debris in Kobe, Japan, after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake in January 1995 turned over an expressway. The earthquake killed more than 6,000 people.

However, earthquakes almost never kill people directly. Instead, falling objects, fire outbreaks, and collapsing buildings or bridges are mainly responsible for casualties. Earthquakes can also trigger landslides, floods, or huge waves (tsunamis) that can lead to more destruction, damage, and loss of life. (Photo: Reuters)

The Most Powerful Earthquake in History (6/11)

A street in Valdivia, Chile, after the Great Chilean Earthquake struck on May 22, 1960. It was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded with instruments, measuring 9.5 on the moment magnitude scale.

The earthquake caused a tsunami that severely devastated southern Chile and spread across the Pacific Ocean, reaching Hawaii, the Philippines, Australia, and Japan. The death toll, although estimated between 2,000 and 6,000 people, was never precisely known. (Photo: Pierre St. Amand)

Deadliest Earthquakes (7/11)

A satellite image of Kalutara, Sri Lanka, on December 26, 2004 (top) and on January 2004 (bottom). On December 26, 2004, tsunamis swept across the Indian ocean, triggered by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake near the Indonesian island of Sumatra. They flooded coastal regions with waves up to 30 meters (100 feet) high, killing nearly 230,000 people in 14 countries, hitting Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand the hardest. It was the second most powerful earthquake ever recorded and one of the deadliest earthquakes in history.

The deadliest earthquake ever recorded was the earthquake on January 23, 1556, in Shaanxi, China with a death toll of about 830,000 people. (Photo: DigitalGlobe)

How to Prepare for an Earthquake (8/11)

If you live in an area vulnerable to earthquakes, advance preparation can reduce risks, injuries, or even fatalities. In your home, fasten shelves securely to walls and place larger objects on lower shelves, repair deep cracks in the wall as well as defective electrical wiring and leaky gas connections. Identify safe places indoors and outdoors, away from where glass could shatter or where heavy objects might fall.

Have disaster supplies on hand such as a flashlight, first aid kit, emergency food and water, and some cash. Develop a plan of how you and your family members can communicate in case you are separated during an earthquake. (Photo: Shutterstock)

What to do during an Earthquake (9/11)

A six-year-old girl sits under her classroom desk during an earthquake drill at a Tokyo elementary school. During an earthquake, movements should be minimized to a few steps to a nearby safe place. Some earthquakes are actually foreshocks – be aware that a larger earthquake might follow.

If indoors, drop to the ground, take cover under a sturdy desk or table and hold on until the shaking stops. If there is no table, cover your face and head with your arms and crouch in a corner of the building. Keep away from windows and anything that could fall. Stay indoors until the shaking has stopped and it is safe to go outside. (Photo: Reuters)

Earthquake Engineering I (10/11)

The Taipei 101, one of the tallest skyscrapers in the world, overlooks Taiwan’s capital city. The 508-meter (1,667-feet) steel construction is one of the most stable skyscrapers ever constructed, supported by thirty-six columns and designed to withstand typhoon winds and strong earthquakes.

A 660-ton steel pendulum suspended from the 88th to the 92nd floor serves as as tuned mass damper and offsets movements of the building caused by wind or earthquakes. In 2002, during the construction of the building, an 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Taipei. The structure of the building, however, was not damaged. (Photo: Reuters)

Earthquake Engineering II (11/11)

The soccer ball-shaped model house called "Barier" represents a more unique way of earthquake engineering. The multi-functional house, manufactured by Kimidori Housing, is made of metal, resistant to earthquakes or cyclones, and floats on water.

It comes with a mini-kitchen, two beds, TV, and a price tag of 1,390,000 yen (12,629 dollars), according to the distributor Actas. (Photo: Reuters)

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