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Impacts of earthquake hazards
The consequences of earthquakes
The consequences of earthquakes
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Major Earthquakes are Inevitable in Indiana’s Future An earthquake felt throughout the Midwest on June 18 was a shaky reminder that earthquakes can occur anywhere. The earthquake, whose epicenter was located north of Evansville, was felt through most of Indiana and surrounding states, as reported by the Indianapolis Star. The quake was not the largest in Midwestern history, only registering a 5.0 on the Richter scale, nor did it do much damage. However, it was a wake-up call reminding those who haven’t paid attention to past warnings about the possibility of larger, more destructive earthquakes. Earthquakes, by Webster’s dictionary definition, are, “a shaking or trembling of the earth that is volcanic or tectonic in origin.” World Book Encyclopedia reports scientists believe that more than 8,000 earthquakes occur each day without causing damage. A little more than 1,000 each year are strong enough to be felt. Earthquakes occur in the general sense, anywhere on land. Other earthquakes go by different names, such as volcanic eruptions and tsunamis, large tidal wave storms that occur underwater, primarily in the Pacific Ocean. Earthquakes are a natural part of the Earth’s evolution. Scientific evidence leads many geologists to believe that all of the land on Earth was at one point in time connected. Because of plate tectonic movements or earthquakes, continental drift occurred separating the one massive piece of land in to the seven major continents today. Further evidence supports this theory, starting with the Mid-Atlantic ridge, a large mass of plate tectonics, which are increasing the size of the Atlantic Ocean while shrinking the Pacific. Some scientists believe that the major plate moveme... ... middle of paper ... ...nd others for injuries, look for and extinguish small fires, inspect your home for damage, listen to the radio for instructions, and expect aftershocks. Tectonic plate movement can occur as close as two and up to 450 miles below the Earth’s surface. According to the Indiana Geological Survey, Indiana’s fault lines are further underground than those in California and Alaska, causing more minor quakes in the Midwest. However, Hoosiers should heed the recent earthquake as a warning for future quakes. Earthquakes can and do happen in Indiana, and almost anywhere else in the world. This is the one natural disaster that people cannot avoid no matter their location on Earth. And, being unprepared can have devastating results. Samuelson said, “Another earthquake or series of them the size of the New Madrid earthquakes is inevitable in Indiana’s future.”
In 1910 a series of fifty-two earthquakes struck Arizona between September 10th-23rd and it caused much of the Flagstaff residents to flee the area as even strong households cracked and chimneys crumbled. The fifty-two earthquakes were all light-shock earthquakes with magnitudes between 4.0-4.2 that came right after another. If only one earthquake occurred in that timespan then it is likely that only objects would be knocked from shelves but no damage would be done to infrastructure, but the earthquakes happened right after another causing significant slight
Earthquakes play a major role into understanding the composition and materials that exist within the Earth (Merali and Skinner, 2009, p.252). Earthquakes are the main source of insight into the inner workings of the earth, due to the nature of the seismic waves they produce. P and S waves are reflected and refracted at different boundaries within the earth, and this enables seismologists to make inferences about the internal composition and structural of planet Earth. (Merali and Skinner, 2009, p.252).
Earthquakes in California are certainly not a surprise. What is a surprise is their unpredictability and randomness. Geologists say there is roughly a 50 percent chance that a magnitude 8 or more quake will hit the Los Angeles area sometime over the next 30 years. And, over the past twenty years, the Los Angeles area has witnessed several earthquakes, and in particular, two that were quite devastating; the 1971 San Fernando earthquake, and the January 17, 1994, Northridge Earthquake. Given the certainty that earthquakes will occur, they still seem to come as a surprise, and leave many communities unprepared to deal with their aftermath.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) about “17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2-19 years are obese” (Moreno et al., 2013 P.157). “Surveys administered in 1976-1980 and 2007-2008 show that the prevalence of obesity has changed from 6.5% to 19.6% among children 6-11 years old age and from 5.0% to 18.1% for those aged 12-19 years (Moreno et al., 2013 P.157).
...ome home from the war who suffer from PTSD. Schacter (1999) states, “Recent PET studies of patients with PTSD have revealed activation in a variety of brain regions previously implicated in fear and anxiety, including the amygdala…” (p. 18).This shows that persistence is largely influenced by emotions.
Because they are becoming more and more obese, children in America today may suffer the consequences of not having good health when they get older and of living a much shorter life than today’s adults. Contrary to many beliefs, “obesity, which used to be a middle-aged and later phenomenon, now, has spread to younger ages, in the context of a major decrease in physical activity” said Caleb Finch (“Wasowicz”). More than half the time, this obesity follows a child into their adulthood. Researchers are frequently asked many questions about the causes of obesity, and they are frequently finding answers. Sometimes, parents are too scared to inform their children and doctors are afraid of upsetting their patients. Also, food in larger, unhealthier portions is easier to access than healthy foods, and many children do not exercise as much as they should. Obesity can have detrimental effects on a child’s physical and mental well being.
The hippocampus is the part of the brain that encodes threatening events into memories. Studies have shown that the hippocampus appears to be smaller in some people who were victims of child abuse or who served in military combat. Research will determine what causes this reduction in size and what role it plays in the flashbacks, deficits in explicit memory, and fragmented memories of the traumatic event that are common in PTSD.”
Ludwig, David S. "Childhood Obesity — The Shape of Things to Come." The New England Journal of Medicine. Massachusetts Medical Society., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2013. .
The earliest report of an earthquake in Illinois is in the year of 1795 at Kaskaskia. This particular phenomenon only lasted for a minute and a half. Subterranean noises were heard and it was also felt as far as Kentucky. Due to the thin frontier population, an accurate location is not possible and the shock may have originated outside the State. Among the largest earthquakes occurring in Illinois was the May 26, 1909, a vibration which knocked over many chimneys in Aurora, a suburb of Chicago. It was felt over 500 thousand square miles and strongly felt in Iowa and Wisconsin. Buildings flexed in Chicago where there was fear that the walls would collapse.
Kolassa, I., & Elbert, T. (2007). Structural and functional neuroplasticity in relation to traumatic stress. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 16(6), 321-325.
Rotatori A. F., & Fox, R. (1989). Obesity in children and youth: Measurement, characteristics, causes, and treatment. Springfield, III., U.S.A: C.C Thomas
Snyder, TD. “Obesity and Overweight for Professionals.” Centers for Disease and Control Prevention. CDC, 17 April 2013. Web. 3 Apr 2014. http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/problem.html
In this essay, you learned about what earthquakes are, tectonic plates, some powerful earthquakes around the world, the San Francisco earthquake 1989, predicting and preventing earthquakes. Thank you for reading!
Jones, Pamela. "Obesity-”Children and Teens." Mississippi Baptist Health Systems. EBSCO, 11 Dec. 2010. Web. 04 Mar. 2011. .
Earthquakes belong to the class of most disastrous natural hazards. They result in unexpected and tremendous earth movements. These movements results from dissemination of an enormous amount of intense energy in form of seismic waves which are detected by use of seismograms. The impact of earthquakes leaves behind several landmarks including: destruction of property, extensive disruption of services like sewer and water lines, loss of life, and causes instability in both economic and social components of the affected nation (Webcache 2).