The Impact Of Earthquakes
comparative Essay
1361 words
Earthquakes are a powerful event that have fascinated scientists and geologist for years. Scientists can learn much from these events. Earthquakes have helped shape our planet to what it is today. Scientists can use them to study the Earth’s internal system. Earthquakes are not something to be taken lightly. They can cause massive devastation and loss of life and property wherever they occur and even the most prepared countries can be overwhelmed by this force of nature.
The magnitude of the earthquake that hit the east coast of Tohoku, Japan on March 3, 2011 was a magnitude of 9.0. As measured on the Richter Scale it ranks in the top 5 ever recorded. The largest recorded earthquake to date was a 9.5 that hit Chile in 1960 (USGS ,2012). These
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In this essay, the author
- Explains that earthquakes are a powerful event that have fascinated scientists and geologists for years. scientists can use them to study the earth’s internal system.
- Compares the magnitude of the earthquake that hit the east coast of tohoku, japan on march 3, 2011 with that of chile in 1960.
- Explains that earthquakes occur in the earth's crust, which is the uppermost layer of the planet and can reach depths up to 18 miles.
- Describes the motion associated with the tohoku event, which occurred along a subduction zone off the coast of japan.
- Compares the san andreas fault with a transform fault, which produces less powerful earthquakes.
- Describes how the tohoku earthquake generated a tsunami because there was an upthrust of 6 to 8 meters thus causing the massive wave.
- Explains that japan has strict building codes, regular earthquake drills, and a state-of-the-art tsunami warning system, but there was nothing that could stop the events that transpired.
- Explains that the tsunami was the most devastating event during the tohoku earthquake of 2011.
- Explains that the nuclear power plant in fukushima experienced a meltdown due to the tsunami, which disabled the power supply that kept the cooling system active.
- Explains japan is considered the most prepared nation for an earthquake. japan's building codes have been modernized and adapted to reflect this threat.
- Explains japan has learned how to deal with tsunamis as they are a constant threat to the island nation.
- Explains that the tsunami caused massive amounts of damage due to the wave breaking the seawall. the last major tsunami to hit japan was in 1993.
The motion of transform faults is where plate boundaries move past one another in a horizontal motion. The earthquakes produced from this type of fault do not produce another disaster such as a tsunami.
A tsunami occurs at a subduction zone on the ocean floor when the thrust pushes the water up and creates a water column. This column collapses propelling the water out in two directions, and can move at speeds up to 500 miles per hour. The Tohoku earthquake generated a tsunami because there was an upthrust of 6 to 8 meters thus causing the massive wave. In open waters a tsunami has a large wavelength and they look like normal waves. As the waves approach shore the wavelength decrease pushing the water close together and causing destruction when it hits
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The first wave of the tsunami struck about an hour after the initial earthquake. The wave reached heights up to 128 feet and the waters flooded 6 miles inland and quickly ravaged the countryside. In total the waves flooded 217 square miles of Japan (Oskin, 2015). Broken roads made travel difficult to get to high ground. The initial death toll was 20,000 people, with an additional 2,000 deaths from post-disaster health conditions (CNN, 2016). The cost total cost of the damage the tsunami and the earthquake caused was 300 billion US dollars. The destroyed roads made it difficult for people to evacuate to higher ground away from the tsunami (Fackler,
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- Earthquakes: One of the Most Potent Natural Powers on Earthexplanatory essayEarthquakes in General By: Jonathan Levron “Earthquakes are one of the most potent natural powers on earth and regularly affect people around the world. Unlike often equally destructive severe weather events such as hurricanes and tornadoes, earthquakes can hit at any time. Earthquakes can also have a array of magnitudes with the strongest having disturbing consequences for the zones where they are concentrated, nearby areas, and even some far away in the instance of earthquake-generated tsunamis” (Briney 1). We think that the ground beneath us is unmoving but the earth’s crust is constantly moving and the destructive forces caused by this moving are called earthquakes. I will be talking about several topics: What causes earthquakes, two types of earthquakes, what their affects are, and what we are doing to predict future earthquakes.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that earthquakes are one of the most powerful natural powers on earth and regularly affect people around the world.
- Explains that the earth's crust is comprised of massive rocks called tectonic plates. the juan de fuca plate is responsible for the volcanoes that dot the pacific northwest.
- Explains fault lines are the boundaries between tectonic plates. most earthquakes occur along fissures in the planet's surface called faults.
- Explains that seismic waves erupt from a focus point and the focal depth is the depth underneath the earth's surface where the energy release was created.
- Explains that there are two different types of earthquakes; a regular earthquake on land and an underwater earthquake.
- Explains that earthquakes are the most deadly form of natural disasters, but there aren't any real positive effects.
- Explains that california banks have refined emergency planning systems, but whether those plans expect everything in the zone being shut down is something else. businesses are trying new things to get around catastrophic earthquakes and be able to move on without them hindering economic growth.
- Explains that seismographs help us measure earthquakes. the richter scale is a logarithmic scale, implicating that the numbers on the scale amount to factors of 10.
- Explains that micro quakes occur continuously, while moderate earthquakes measure less than 6.0 or so on the richter scale. scientists are still using foreshocks as a base.
- Explains that earthquakes are caused by friction and movement between tectonic plates. seismic waves disperse outwards from the focus point of an earthquake and travel inside the earth’s crust.
- Explains how a seismograph works and the richter scale.
- Analyzes the economic consequences of a catastrophic earthquake.
1919 wordsRead More - Major Earthquakes are Inevitable in Indiana’s Futureopinion essayMajor 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.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that major earthquakes are inevitable in indiana's future. the quake, whose epicenter was located north of evansville, was a wake-up call reminding those who haven't paid attention to past warnings.
- Explains that earthquakes are volcanic or tectonic in origin, and that more than 8,000 earthquakes occur each day without causing damage.
- Explains that earthquakes are a natural part of the earth's evolution, and geologists believe that all land on earth was at one point in time connected.
- Explains the richter scale, which measures the "back and forth force" of an earthquake using an instrument called a seismograph.
- Explains that the largest earthquake ever recorded in the world occurred in chile and registered a 9.5 in 1960.
- Explains that large earthquakes reaching a richter scale magnitude of 6.0 in indiana are predicted to occur in approximately 2,000-year cycles, but geologists don't know when the last one occurred.
- Explains that the wabash river valley fault line runs between vincennes and terre haute. most predicted epicenters are located in southwest indiana and southern illinois.
- Explains that samuelson believes that there is a greater earthquake possibility in indiana. the new madrid fault line is the largest fault in the midwest.
- Opines that an earthquake along the new madrid fault line could be more devastating to indiana than a quake from the wabash valley
- Opines that an earthquake would destroy and damage property for miles from the epicenter, killing thousands of people who are not prepared to deal with its effects.
- Explains that there is not much concern in the muncie area about devastating earthquakes. samuelson is certain that if the seismic strength of a quake was great enough, it could do damage to buildings.
- Explains that delaware county emergency management agency has an all hazards, all risks plan for tornadoes, floods and earthquakes.
- Opines that gaznell's only specific plan is what-to-do in the event of a chemical or nuclear attack, which is written in response to the terrorist threats facing the country.
- Suggests the american red cross prepare for an earthquake by preparing a home earthquake plan, practicing drills, and choosing an out-of-town contact. prepare disaster supplies for home and car.
- Describes the steps to follow when shaking begins, and explains how to prepare for aftershocks, such as checking for injuries and extinguishing small fires.
- Argues that indiana's fault lines are further underground than those in california and alaska, causing more minor quakes in the midwest.
1293 wordsRead More - Earthquakes Essayexplanatory essayEarthquakes occur almost all over the world and often cause many casualties and injuries, but it is a common misconception to think that all earthquakes or even most of them cause destruction. In fact, most earthquakes aren’t even strong enough to be felt by humans and most animals, and can only be recorded by seismometers that are strategically placed in all corners of the world in order to get a reliable and precise reading on the earthquakes strength. Another common misconception about earthquakes is that people believe that the injuries and deaths that result from earthquakes are because of the earth’s shaking itself, whereas it is in fact usually because of heavy items falling from the incessant vibrations. Earthquakes can be defined as
In this essay, the author
- Explains that most earthquakes aren't strong enough to be felt by humans and animals, and can only be recorded by seismometers strategically placed in all corners of the world.
- Explains that earthquakes have been happening since the beginning of time, and the oldest recorded earthquake was recorded in china on 1177 b.c.
- Explains that in norse mythology, there are two stories that explain the trembling of the earth. in the first, it was believed that fenrir was to bring about ragnarok and kill the all-father odin.
- Explains the story of namazu, a giant catfish, in japanese mythology. it is supposedly guarded by the god of thunder and swords.
- Explains that earthquakes are the result of poseidon, god of the seas, oceans and earthquake. kisin, a malevolent underworld deity, would often uproot and destroy trees planted by chac.
- Explains that earthquakes are the result of sudden break along a fault in the earth's crust, which results in an overwhelming amount of energy that in turn causes the seismic waves to make the ground shake.
- Explains seismic waves are energy waves that are caused by the sudden breaking of rock in the earth's crust, or because of an explosion. earthquakes make up both surface and body waves.
- Explains that surface waves have a low frequency than body waves and are at fault for the destruction earthquakes cause.
- Explains that body waves travel in the earth's interior and arrive before surface waves, which are either p waves or s waves. primary waves are the fastest seismic wave and can move through solids and not liquids.
1225 wordsRead More - Thromas By Zeta Stevens Why Do Earthquakes Occur?explanatory essayReport on Earthquakes by Zeta Stevens Why Do Earthquakes Occur? The earth is split into four layers, inner and outer core, the mantle and crust. The top of the mantle and crust make up what is like the skin of our earth (see source 2).
In this essay, the author
- Explains that an earthquake occurs when a fault line goes off and parts of plates become stuck against one another.
- Explains that earthquakes occur on earth's fault lines, but no part of the earth is free from them. the pacific plate collides with the eurasian plate.
- Explains that earthquakes can cause other hazards such as tsunamis, avalanches, and landslides.
- Explains that earthquakes are very common because the earth's tectonic plates are constantly moving. statistics show that over 1 million occur each year worldwide, but they can't be felt by humans.
- Describes the impacts of earthquakes on the economy, society, and environment.
- Explains that earthquakes have many impacts that affect the earth and us as humans. the 9.5 magnitude earthquake in chile killed more than 5000 people, and the 2011 christchurch earthquake left 100 000 homes needing repair.
- Explains that the earth is split into four layers: the inner and outer core, the mantle and crust, and the tectonic plates.
- Explains that earthquakes occur with the tectonic plates movements and with them colliding, sliding or doing both against each other.
1145 wordsRead More - Earthquakesexplanatory essayAn earthquake can be defined as vibrations produced in the earth's crust. Tectonic plates have friction between them which
In this essay, the author
- Explains that they chose to research earthquakes and earthquake prediction because they were curious as to how they work.
- Explains that earthquakes are vibrations produced in the earth's crust, which can range from barely noticeable to a disastrous, and destructive act of nature.
- Explains that robert mallet proposed that earthquakes occurred either by sudden flexure and constraint of elastic materials forming a portion of the earth's crust or by their giving way and becoming fractured.
- Explains that tectonic earthquakes are the most devastating, because they are caused by the stress of the major and minor plates that make up the earth's crust. subduction-zone quakes occur in a variety of geological settings.
- Explains that tectonic earthquakes occur in areas far from other forms of seismic activity, such as new madrid, charleston, south carolina, and mount st. helens.
- Explains the destructive effects of earthquakes, such as landslides, tidal waves, and liquefaction of soils.
- Explains that seismologists have created two scales of measurement to describe earthquakes' power. the richter scale measures the energy released at the focus of an earthquake.
- Explains that earthquake predictions have been successful in china, japan, russia, and the u.s.
- Explains that earthquakes are unpredictable and devastating acts of nature. there is still alot more to be known about them that we still don't know about today.
2186 wordsRead More - Earthquake Essayexplanatory essayAn earthquake is the shaking of the ground caused by sudden release of energy inside the earth's crust. It's the breaking and moving of tectonic plates along a fault line. Earthquakes can range in size from weak where we don't feel them to extremely violent where they actually thow people around and destroy cities. They may be a result of geological faults or other activites such as volcanoes, landslides, mine blasts and nuclear tests. An earthquake is not always naturally caused.
In this essay, the author
- Explains an earthquake is the shaking of the ground caused by sudden release of energy inside the earth's crust and the breaking and moving of tectonic plates along a fault line.
- Explains that earthquakes have three different types of shocks that are normally felt by humans: foreshocks, the main shock, and after.
- Explains that earthquakes are measured on two different types of seismometers: the richter scale and the modified mercalli intensity scale.
- Explains that earthquakes are classified as primary and secondary impacts. tsunamis, fires and landslides destroy everything in their path.
- Explains that earthquakes can't be predicted, as scientists have tried many different things to try to predict them, but all have failed.
- Explains that earthquakes are caused by tectonic plates moving in the earth's crust, which either move apart or pull together at faults.
879 wordsRead More - Japanese Tsunami Essayexplanatory essayOn March 11, 2011 at 2:46 PM, Japanese time, an 8.9 magnitude earthquake hits, but was later upgraded to a 9.0 magnitude earthquake, happens 231 miles northeast of Tokyo, Japan, at a depth of 15.2 miles. The pacific tsunami-warning centre sends out a warning to the Pacific Ocean from Japan all the way to The United States of America. Around an hour later after the earthquake the waves hit. The waves got up to 30ft high when they hit the Japanese coast. The waves caused widespread devastation washing away cars like they were sticks, collapsing buildings and destroying roads and highways.
In this essay, the author
- Describes how a 9.0 magnitude earthquake hits japan on march 11, 2011 at 2:46 pm, japanese time. the pacific tsunami-warning centre sends out warning to the pacific ocean from japan all the way to the united states of america.
- Explains that the tsunami cost the japanese government 25 trillion yen ($300 billion) dollars. the earthquake caused the earth to move between 4 and 6.5 inches on its axis.
- Reports that fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant's tsunami and earthquake have knocked out the power source and closed down the back up generators.
- Explains that around 9,500 people are missing in minamisanriku on japan's pacific coast. people who were lucky enough ran to higher ground and watched the wave break through the barriers.
- Explains that japan has deployed 50,000 self-defence forces, including 190 aircraft and 25 ships, to evacuate people living within 10 km radius of fukushima daini and 20 km from the power plants.
- Explains that on march 14, an explosion happens at reactor three causing a wall to collapse, which injured six. number 2 reactors loose its capabilities to cool down and workers frantically pump seawater into the reactor.
- Explains that the tsunami and earthquake caused widespread devastation not just around the japan region but also across the pacific ocean. the death toll for this horrible disaster is 15,884.
644 wordsRead More - American Tsunami: Are we Next?explanatory essayThe word tsunami comes from a Japanese word meaning “Long harbor waives”. Tsunami is much known and very common in Japan because thousands of Japanese have been killed and some suffered in recent centuries. Tsunami waves generally speaking cause a lot of damages such as, killing people, destroying building, and costing million of dollars. Moreover, a tsunami is a series of great sea waves caused by an underwater earthquake, landslide, or volcanic eruption. The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake that is located on epicenter off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, is actually one of the worst disasters in the history of Indian Ocean that generated by the most powerful 9.0 magnitude earthquake. An aggressive movement of the Earth's tectonic plates creates an enormous amount of water (probably 30 feet long), sending powerful shock waves in every direction.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that tsunami is a series of great sea waves caused by an underwater earthquake, landslide, or volcanic eruption.
- Explains that a tsunami involves the movement of millions of tons of water. the cascadia subduction zone is closer to the land than indian ocean fault line, and the people living between the cost of northern california and vankopper canada would be in danger within 15 minutes.
- Explains that unlike the indian ocean, the united states already has early warning systems in place, monitoring the pacific for any tsunamis coming, evacuation roads are equipped in all cost hazards area less than 40 feet above the sea levels, and modern building are built to stand earthquake.
- Explains that the 2004 tsunami is caused by a massive earthquake and two old giant tectonic plates. scientists are testing and studying the region of cascadia subduction zone to prevent any danger that may damage the city.
541 wordsRead More - Earthquake Essayexplanatory essay...ct so many people per year. In knowing what earthquakes are, people can learn to recognize the signs, and better educate themselves. Through grasping how an earthquake occurs, and where they happen in the world can better help people understand earthquakes as a whole. Also, in being mindful on how earthquakes are measured and their magnitude can help someone become better educated on the topic of earthquakes since they could happen at any time. Besides the fact, learning about the causes, foreshocks, mainshocks, and aftershocks are also vital in sensing earthquakes. Not only is it fundamental to know the facts behind earthquakes, it is also crucial to know where they occur, such as in places like Haiti, Japan, and Mexico. Earthquakes are not preventable, but in knowing the workings behind them, people can learn to cope with them to a greater degree.
In this essay, the author
- Explains earthquakes are caused by a buildup of energy in volcanic or tectonic form.
- Explains that earthquakes occur when two tectonic plates touch each other, preventing any movement. rock breaking along a fault can cause the ground to shake because of the release of energy in the form of seismic waves.
- Explains that earthquakes can occur due to the stress and movement caused by the tectonic plates rubbing back and forth.
- Explains that intraplate earthquakes occur because of a fault that is pushed, as result of rocks that are compressed.
- Explains that a volcanic earthquake occurs when magma travels to the surface, breaking rocks, and causing an earthquake.
- Explains that earthquakes can cause landslides. earthquake magnitude has relations with the location of the earthquake, the distance, and the volume.
- Explains that foreshocks occur when pieces of rock crack under stress, before what is called the main shock.
- Explains that an aftershock is a tinier earthquake that might happen in the same location.
- Explains how charles f. richter invented the richter scale, using an equation tied to the amplitude of the largest wave ever recorded on a seismometer. later, other inventions were developed similar to that specific scale.
- Compares the moment magnitude scale with the richter scale, which allows for more accurate assessments of earthquakes of larger magnitudes.
- Explains how earthquakes can be broken down into different classes, and their magnitudes, from how are earthquake magnitudes measured?
- Explains that the mercalli scale is important to keep in mind when measuring the magnitude of an earthquake.
- Argues that the idea that someone can predict an earthquake is untrue. some people argue that animals act weird because of foreshocks.
- Explains that the majority of earthquakes occur between the boundaries of plates in the solomon islands, indonesia, and japan. earthquakes can also strike when one plate is forced past another.
- Describes the destruction of haiti's lycee marie-jeanne school for girls and delmas 32, a police precinct. before the earthquake, there was concern on the well-being of the haitian children.
- Narrates how an earthquake in niigata, japan injured around nine hundred people and caused nine deaths. the quake also set off a nuclear power plant that trickled radioactive substance into the sea of japan.
- Explains that sendai, japan was hit by an earthquake on march 11th, 2011 — normally, the japanese are accustomed to earthquakes, but this time, people realized the earthquake was different.
- Explains that an earthquake occurred on mexico’s pacific coast in guerrero, mexico on may 8th, 2014. the damage of the earthquake was extensive.
- Explains that earthquakes are important to study, since they affect so many people per year.
1870 wordsRead More - Tsunami Hazards And Mitigation In Canadaexplanatory essayTsunamis are series of waves, generated by earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, explosions, or even impact of cosmic bodies, that travel across the ocean and have extremely long wavelengths. A tsunami can be created when a disturbance displaces a large water mass from its equilibrium position. In earthquake-generated tsunamis, the water column is disturbed by the uplift or subsidence of the ocean floor. Submarine landslides, which often come with large earthquakes, as well as disintegration of volcanic edifices, can also disturb the overlying water column as sediment and rock slump downslope and are redistributed across the sea floor. Similarly, a violent submarine volcanic eruption can create an impulsive force that uplifts the water column and generates a tsunami (Ruff, 2003, Yalciner, 2003). Conversely, terrestrial landslides and cosmic-body impacts disturb the water from above, as energy from falling debris is transferred to the water into which the fragments falls (Murty, 1977, Bryant, 2001, Clague et al., 2003, Yalciner, 2003).
In this essay, the author
- Explains that tsunamis are not very common natural disasters, but the fact that they can occur without warning makes it worth trying to find out what are the hazards associated with them.
- Explains tsunamis are series of waves generated by earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions and explosions that travel across the ocean and have extremely long wavelengths.
- Explains that tsunamis are series of large waves produced by seismic or volcanic activity, or by any disturbance that creates a shift in water columns.
- Explains the cascadia subduction zone what is it? how big are the quakes?
- Explains murty, t.s., seismic sea waves: tsunamis. dept. of fisheries and the environment, fishery and marine service.
- Explains that tsunamis are a series of waves separated by minutes to an hour or more. tsunami hazards include flooding, strong currents, sandblasting, and floating debris.
- Explains that tsunamis can be prevented by non-structural measures, such as land-use control, emergency preparedness, and public education.
- Cites clague, j.j., munro, and murty, t. 2003 and hebenstreit, g. 1997.
1238 wordsRead More