Understanding and Preparation of Earthquake

990 Words2 Pages

Understanding and Preparation of Earthquake

An earthquake is a sudden movement of the Earth's lithosphere (its crust and upper mantle) by the release of build-up energy “in the form of low – frequency sound waves (seismic waves)” along geological faults or by volcanic activity. There are three types of the seismic wave: “primary (P) waves have a push – pull type of vibration, secondary (S) waves have a slide – to – slide types of vibration, and combination of primary (P) and secondary (S) of vibrations (HarperCollins Publishers, 2003). It can be measuring by the Richter scale.

An earthquake is a natural geological phenomenon and more than 30,000 earthquakes that strong enough to felt by worldwide. It caused by the fast release of elastic energy stored in rock which been subject to great stress. Once the rock is strained beyond its breaking point it ruptures, releasing the potential energy (Pe) in the form of earthquake wave. This can be explained by much likes elastic rebound mechanism, the “tectonics theory”. According the tectonic theory, the lithosphere (Earth’s outermost layer) is composed of large 7 different plates: “the African, North American, South American, Eurasian, Australian, Antarctic, and Pacific plates” (Plate Tectonic, http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsysflr/plates1.html). An earthquake is natural process of moving plates and among the most destructive energy on Earth.

The distribution pattern of earthquake across the continental United States can divide by the different time zones. United States continental has four different time zones: Pacific Time zone, Mountain Time zone, central time zone, and Eastern Time zone. First most of earthquake distributed is in Pacific Ti...

... middle of paper ...

...earthquake. The events of earthquakes lead to develop seismological tools to preventing from being victims of natural destructive power and to understand to prepare for up - coming an earthquake.

The difference between geological energy and biological energy are: geological energy is potential energy which stored in the earth crust (plate) and biological energy is that energy stored in form of chemical known ATPs, which is chemical energy. Geological energy and biological energy are same in term of how they transformed energy. Geological energy is released when two tectonic plates moves in form of waves. But biological energy is released in process of metabolism: break down chemical bond in glucoses molecules and release energy. In both case, energy is stored in form of chemical in biological energy and geological energy is stored in earth crust or rock.

Open Document