Where do earthquakes most often occur? We are facing the most powerful earthquake in human history.

During times high technology, established rhythms of life, people often forget that they do not manage everything until the end. And the manifestations of global events such as earthquakes are only in a few cases truly noticeable. But if this cataclysm does reach civilized corners, this event may remain a scar on people's memories for a long time.

How does an earthquake happen?

Oscillations earth's surface, as well as tremors, is the process of an earthquake. Scientists believe that the earth's crust consists of 20 huge plates. They move at a very low speed of about a few centimeters per year through the upper layer of the mantle. The boundaries between plates are often mountains or deep-sea trenches. Where the slabs slide over each other, the edges become folded. And in the crust itself, cracks form - tectonic faults, through which mantle material seeps to the surface. Natural disasters such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions often occur in these places. The area of ​​shock wave divergence sometimes extends for hundreds of kilometers.

Causes of the earthquake

  • Collapses large mass rocks from the influence of groundwater often cause earth tremors at a short distance.
  • In areas of active volcanoes, under the pressure of lava and gases top part crust, nearby areas are exposed to weak but prolonged tremors, often on the eve of an eruption.
  • Technogenic activities of people - construction of dams, mining activity, testing nuclear weapons, accompanied by powerful underground explosions or redistribution of internal water masses.


How an earthquake occurs - earthquake foci

But not only the cause itself directly affects the power of the earthquake, but also the depth of the source of occurrence. The source or hypocenter itself can be located at any depth, from several kilometers to hundreds of kilometers. And it is a sharp displacement of large massifs of rocks. Even with a slight shift, vibrations of the earth's surface will occur, and the range of their movement will depend only on their strength and sharpness. But the further the surface, the less destructive the consequences of the cataclysm will be. The point above the source in the ground layer will be the epicenter. And it is often subject to the greatest deformation and destruction during the movement of seismic waves.

How an earthquake occurs - zones of seismic activity

Due to the fact that our planet has not yet stopped its geological formation, there are 2 zones - the Mediterranean and the Pacific. The Mediterranean stretches from the Sunda Islands to the Isthmus of Panama. The Pacific covers Japan, Kamchatka, Alaska, moves further to the California mountains, Peru, Antarctica and many other places. There is constant seismic activity due to the formation of young mountains and volcanic activity.


How does an earthquake occur - the strength of the earthquake

The consequences of such earthly activity can be dangerous. There is a whole science for studying and recording it - seismology. It uses several types of measurements of magnitude - a measure of the energy of seismic waves. The most popular Richter scale with a 10-point system.

  • Less than 3 points are recorded only by seismographs due to their weakness.
  • From 3 to 4 points a person already feels slight swaying of the surface. The environment begins to react - the movement of dishes, the swaying of chandeliers.
  • At 5 points, the effect is enhanced; in old buildings, interior decoration may crumble.
  • 6 points can significantly damage old buildings, causing rattling or cracking of glass in new houses, but they are already damaged at 7 points;
  • Points 8 and 9 cause significant destruction over large areas and bridge collapses.
  • The strongest magnitude 10 earthquakes are also the rarest and cause catastrophic destruction.


  • When living in high-rise buildings, you should understand that the lower a person is, the better, but during evacuation you cannot use elevators.
  • It is worth leaving buildings and moving away from them to a safe distance (turning off electricity and gas), avoiding large trees and power lines.
  • If it is not possible to leave the premises, you need to move away from window openings and tall furniture or hide under strong table or bed.
  • When driving, it is better to stop and avoid high points or bridges.


Humanity cannot yet prevent earthquakes, or even predict the reaction in detail. earth's crust to seismic shocks. By virtue of huge amount variable factors, these are incredibly complex forecasts. A person successfully passively defends himself in the form of strengthening buildings and improving the layout of infrastructure. This allows countries located on the line of constant seismic activity to develop successfully.

Most of the largest earthquakes occur according to one scenario: rigid plate structures, consisting of the earth's crust and mantle, move, colliding with each other. There are 7 in total in the world largest slabs: Antarctic, Eurasian, Indo-Australian, North American, Pacific and South American.

Over the past two billion years, the movement of plates has accelerated significantly, which, accordingly, has increased the chances of such a catastrophe. On the other hand, based on studies of the movement of tectonic plates, scientists can, albeit approximately, predict the occurrence of the next major earthquake. Based on publicly available data, we have compiled a list of cities where the likelihood of such an event is already very high.

San Francisco

A powerful earthquake with an epicenter in the Santa Cruz Mountains, about a hundred kilometers from the city of San Francisco, is just around the corner. Or rather, over the next couple of years. However, most residents of the City by the Bay prepared for the disaster by stocking up on medicines, drinking water and food products. In turn, the city authorities are busy urgently carrying out work to strengthen the buildings.

Fremantle

Fremantle is a port city located on the west coast of Australia. According to seismological studies by specialists from the University of Sydney, in the period from the end of 2016 to 2024, strong earthquake about 6 on the Richter scale. However, the main danger is that the shock could occur on the ocean floor near the city, causing a tsunami.

Tokyo

According to experts' forecasts major earthquake with its epicenter in the Japanese capital, there is a 75% chance of happening at any time within the next 30 years. According to the model created by scientists, about 23 thousand people will become victims of the disaster and over 600 thousand buildings will be destroyed. In addition to increasing the level of seismic resistance of buildings and demolishing old structures, the Tokyo administration will introduce non-combustible building materials. The 1995 Kobe earthquake showed the Japanese that people more often become victims not of collapsed buildings, but of fires that occur after a disaster.

Los Angeles

Earthquakes happen quite often in the City of Angels, but there haven't been any truly major ones for over a century. The gloomier is the forecast presented by seismologists and geologists from the US Geological Society. Based on the analysis of soils and tectonic plates under central part California, scientists have concluded that an earthquake of magnitude 6.7 may occur here before 2037. A shock of such force, under certain circumstances, can turn a city into ruins.

Panama

Within a few next years A powerful earthquake measuring more than 8.5 on the Richter scale will occur in the area of ​​the Isthmus of Panama. Experts from the University of San Diego came to these conclusions after conducting seismological studies of faults adjacent to the Panama Canal. The effects of an earthquake of truly catastrophic proportions will be felt by the inhabitants of both Americas. And most of all, of course, the capital of the republic, Panama, where about 1.5 million people live, will suffer.

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

A strong earthquake in the medium term, i.e. in the next 4-5 years, will occur in the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky area. Such data were reported in the seismology department of the Schmidt Institute of Earth Physics. In connection with this forecast, work is being carried out in Kamchatka to strengthen buildings, and the Ministry of Emergency Situations is checking the seismic resistance of buildings. In addition, a network of stations was organized to monitor the symptoms of an approaching earthquake: high-frequency vibrations of the earth's crust, water levels in wells, and fluctuations in magnetic fields.

Grozny

According to the same seismology department, a major earthquake in the period from 2017 to 2036. may occur in the North Caucasus, on the border of Chechnya and Dagestan. Unlike the situation in Kamchatka, no work is being carried out there to reduce possible damage from earthquakes, which could lead to a greater number of casualties than if such work had been carried out.

NY

New research results from American seismologists from Columbia University indicate a high seismic hazard currently in the vicinity of New York. The magnitude of the earthquake can reach five points, which can lead to the complete destruction of old buildings in the city. Another cause for concern was nuclear power plant, located right at the intersection of two faults, i.e. in an extremely dangerous region. Its destruction could turn New York into a second Chernobyl.

Banda Aceh

Indonesia is located in the most seismically active zone on the planet, and therefore earthquakes here will not surprise anyone. In particular, the island of Sumatra constantly finds itself almost directly at the epicenter of tremors. A new earthquake, predicted by seismologists, with an epicenter 28 km from the city of Banda Aceh, which will occur in the next six months, will not be an exception.

Bucharest

A strong earthquake in Romania could be triggered by blasting of shale rocks carried out in the Carpathian Mountains region. Geophysicists from the Romanian National Institute report that the epicenter of the future earthquake will be located there, at a depth of 40 kilometers. The fact is that work to search for shale gas in these layers of the earth can cause displacements of the earth’s crust and, as a result, earthquakes.

Earthquakes are a natural phenomenon that even today attracts the attention of scientists not only due to their lack of knowledge, but also due to their unpredictability, which can harm humanity.

What is an earthquake?

An earthquake is an underground tremors that can be felt by a person largely depending on the power of vibration of the earth's surface. Earthquakes are not uncommon and occur every day in different parts of the planet. Often most of earthquakes occur at the bottom of the oceans, which avoids catastrophic destruction within densely populated cities.

The principle of earthquakes

What causes earthquakes? Earthquakes can be caused by both natural causes and man-made ones.

Most often, earthquakes occur due to faults in tectonic plates and their rapid displacement. For a person, a fault is not noticeable until the moment when the energy generated from the rupture of rocks begins to break out to the surface.

How do earthquakes occur? natural reasons? Quite often, a person, through his carelessness, provokes the appearance of artificial tremors, which in their power are not at all inferior to natural ones. Among these reasons are the following:

  • - explosions;
  • - overfilling of reservoirs;
  • - above-ground (underground) nuclear explosion;
  • - collapses in mines.

The location where a tectonic plate breaks is the source of an earthquake. Not only the strength of the potential push, but also its duration will depend on the depth of its location. If the source is located 100 kilometers from the surface, then its strength will be more than noticeable. Most likely, this earthquake will lead to the destruction of houses and buildings. When they occur in the sea, such earthquakes cause tsunamis. However, the source can be located much deeper - 700 and 800 kilometers. Such phenomena are not dangerous and can only be recorded using special instruments - seismographs.

The place where the earthquake is most powerful is called the epicenter. It is this piece of land that is considered the most dangerous for the existence of all living things.

Studying earthquakes

A detailed study of the nature of earthquakes makes it possible to prevent many of them and make the life of the population living in dangerous places, more calm. To determine the power and measure the strength of an earthquake, two basic concepts are used:

  • - magnitude;
  • - intensity;

The magnitude of an earthquake is a measure that measures the energy released during release from the source in the form of seismic waves. The magnitude scale allows you to accurately determine the origins of fluctuations.

Intensity is measured in points and allows you to determine the ratio of the magnitude of tremors and their seismic activity from 0 to 12 points on the Richter scale.

Features and signs of earthquakes

Regardless of what causes an earthquake and in what area it is localized, its duration will be approximately the same. One push lasts on average 20-30 seconds. But history has recorded cases when a single shock without repetitions could last up to three minutes.

Signs of an approaching earthquake are the anxiety of animals, which, sensing the slightest vibrations on the surface of the earth, try to get away from the ill-fated place. Other signs of an imminent earthquake include:

  • - the appearance of characteristic clouds in the form of oblong ribbons;
  • - change in water level in wells;
  • - malfunctions of electrical equipment and mobile phones.

How to behave during earthquakes?

How to behave during an earthquake to save your life?

  • - Maintain prudence and calm;
  • - When indoors, never hide under fragile furniture, such as a bed. Lie down next to them in the fetal position and cover your head with your hands (or protect your head with something extra). If the roof collapses, it will fall on the furniture and a layer may form, in which you will find yourself. It is important to choose strong furniture whose widest part is on the floor, i.e. this furniture cannot fall;
  • - When outside, move away from tall buildings and structures, power lines that may collapse.
  • - Cover your mouth and nose with a wet cloth to prevent dust and fumes from entering if any object catches fire.

If you notice an injured person in a building, wait until the tremors end and only then get into the room. Otherwise, both people may be trapped.

Where do earthquakes not occur and why?

Earthquakes occur where tectonic plates break. Therefore, countries and cities located on a solid tectonic plate without faults do not have to worry about their safety.

Australia is the only continent in the world that is not at the junction lithospheric plates. There are no active volcanoes and high mountains on it and, accordingly, there are no earthquakes. There are also no earthquakes in Antarctica and Greenland. The presence of the enormous weight of the ice shell prevents the spread of tremors across the surface of the earth.

Probability of earthquakes occurring in the area Russian Federation quite high in rocky areas, where the displacement and movement of rocks is most actively observed. Thus, high seismicity is observed in the North Caucasus, Altai, Siberia and the Far East.

The earth's firmament has always been a symbol of security. And today a person who is afraid of flying on an airplane feels protected only when he feels a flat surface under his feet. Therefore, the worst thing is when the ground literally disappears from under your feet. Earthquakes, even the weakest ones, undermine the sense of security so much that many of the consequences are associated not with destruction, but with panic and are psychological rather than physical in nature. In addition, this is one of those disasters that humanity cannot prevent, and therefore many scientists are researching the causes of earthquakes, developing methods for recording tremors, forecasting and warning. The amount of knowledge already accumulated by humanity on this issue allows us to minimize losses in some cases. At the same time, examples of earthquakes recent years clearly indicate that there is still much to be learned and done.

The essence of the phenomenon

At the heart of every earthquake is a seismic wave that leads to it. It arises as a result of powerful processes of varying depth. Quite minor earthquakes occur due to surface drift, often along faults. The causes of earthquakes that are deeper in location often have devastating consequences. They flow in zones along the edges of shifting plates that are plunging into the mantle. The processes occurring here lead to the most noticeable consequences.

Earthquakes happen every day, but most of them go unnoticed by people. They are only recorded with special devices. Wherein greatest strength tremors and maximum destruction occur in the epicenter zone, the place above the source that generated the seismic waves.

Scales

Today there are several ways to determine the strength of a phenomenon. They are based on concepts such as the intensity of the earthquake, its energy class and magnitude. The last of these is a quantity that characterizes the amount of energy released in the form of seismic waves. This method of measuring the strength of a phenomenon was proposed in 1935 by Richter and is therefore popularly called the Richter scale. It is still used today, but, contrary to popular belief, each earthquake is assigned not points, but a certain magnitude value.

Earthquake scores, which are always given in the description of the consequences, are related to a different scale. It is based on a change in the amplitude of the wave, or the magnitude of the oscillations at the epicenter. The values ​​on this scale also describe the intensity of earthquakes:

  • 1-2 points: fairly weak tremors, recorded only by instruments;
  • 3-4 points: noticeable in high rise buildings, often noticeable by the swinging of the chandelier and the displacement of small objects, a person may feel dizzy;
  • 5-7 points: tremors can be felt already on the ground, cracks may appear on the walls of buildings, plaster may fall off;
  • 8 points: powerful tremors lead to deep cracks in the ground and noticeable damage to buildings;
  • 9 points: walls of houses, often underground structures, are destroyed;
  • 10-11 points: such an earthquake leads to collapses and landslides, collapse of buildings and bridges;
  • 12 points: leads to the most catastrophic consequences, including severe changes in the landscape and even the direction of water movement in rivers.

Earthquake scores, which are given in various sources, are determined precisely on this scale.

Classification

The ability to predict any disaster comes from a clear understanding of what causes it. The main causes of earthquakes can be divided into two large groups: natural and artificial. The former are associated with changes in the subsoil, as well as with the influence of certain cosmic processes, the latter are caused by human activity. The classification of earthquakes is based on the cause that caused it. Natural ones include tectonic, landslide, volcanic and others. Let's look at them in more detail.

Tectonic earthquakes

The crust of our planet is constantly in motion. This is what underlies most earthquakes. The tectonic plates that make up the crust move relative to each other, collide, diverge and converge. In places of faults, where plate boundaries pass and a compression or tension force occurs, tectonic stress accumulates. As it grows, sooner or later it leads to the destruction and displacement of rocks, as a result of which seismic waves are born.

Vertical movements lead to the formation of failures or uplifting of rocks. Moreover, the displacement of the plates can be insignificant and amount to only a few centimeters, but the amount of energy released in this case is enough to cause serious destruction on the surface. Traces of such processes on earth are very noticeable. These could be, for example, displacements of one part of the field relative to another, deep cracks and failures.

Under the water column

The causes of earthquakes on the ocean floor are the same as on land - movements of lithospheric plates. Their consequences for people are somewhat different. Very often, the displacement of oceanic plates causes a tsunami. Having originated above the epicenter, the wave gradually gains height and often reaches ten meters, and sometimes fifty, near the shore.

According to statistics, over 80% of tsunamis hit the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Today, there are many services in seismic zones working to predict the occurrence and spread of destructive waves and notifying the population of the danger. However, people still have little protection from such natural disasters. Examples of earthquakes and tsunamis at the beginning of our century are further confirmation of this.

Volcanoes

When it comes to earthquakes, images of an eruption of hot magma that you once saw inevitably appear in your head. And this is not surprising: the two natural phenomena are interconnected. The cause of the earthquake may be volcanic activity. The contents of the fire mountains exert pressure on the surface of the earth. During the sometimes quite long period of preparation for an eruption, periodic explosions of gas and steam occur, which generate seismic waves. The pressure on the surface creates a so-called volcanic tremor (shaking). It consists of a series of small ground tremors.

The cause of earthquakes is processes occurring in the bowels like active volcanoes, and went out. In the latter case, they are a sign that the frozen mountain of fire may still wake up. Volcanic researchers often use microearthquakes to predict eruptions.

In many cases, it can be difficult to unambiguously classify an earthquake as tectonic or volcanic. Signs of the latter are the location of the epicenter in close proximity to the volcano and a relatively small magnitude.

Collapses

An earthquake can also be caused by rock collapse. in the mountains arise as a result of various processes in the bowels and natural phenomena, so human activity. Voids and caves in the ground can collapse and generate seismic waves. Rock falls are caused by insufficient drainage of water, which destroys seemingly solid structures. The collapse could also be caused by a tectonic earthquake. The collapse of an impressive mass causes minor seismic activity.

Such earthquakes are characterized by low strength. Typically, the volume of collapsed rock is not sufficient to cause significant fluctuations. However, sometimes earthquakes of this type lead to noticeable damage.

Classification by depth of occurrence

The main causes of earthquakes are associated, as already mentioned, with various processes in the bowels of the planet. One of the options for classifying such phenomena is based on the depth of their origin. Earthquakes are divided into three types:

  • Surface - the source is located at a depth of no more than 100 km; approximately 51% of earthquakes belong to this type.
  • Intermediate - depth varies in the range from 100 to 300 km; the sources of 36% of earthquakes are located in this segment.
  • Deep-focus - below 300 km, this type accounts for about 13% of such disasters.

The most significant offshore earthquake of the third type occurred in Indonesia in 1996. Its source was located at a depth of over 600 km. This event allowed scientists to “enlighten” the planet’s interior to a considerable depth. In order to study the structure of the subsoil, almost all deep-focus earthquakes that are not dangerous to humans are used. Much of the data on the structure of the Earth was obtained from the study of the so-called Wadati-Benioff zone, which can be represented as a curved inclined line indicating the place where one tectonic plate sets under another.

Anthropogenic factor

The nature of earthquakes has changed somewhat since the beginning of the development of human technical knowledge. In addition to natural causes that cause tremors and seismic waves, artificial ones also appeared. Man, mastering nature and its resources, as well as increasing technical power, through his activities can provoke a natural disaster. The causes of earthquakes are underground explosions, the creation of large reservoirs, and the production of large volumes of oil and gas, which result in voids underground.

One of the enough serious problems in this regard, earthquakes arising due to the creation and filling of reservoirs. Huge volumes and masses of water exert pressure on the subsoil and lead to changes in the hydrostatic equilibrium in the rocks. Moreover, the higher the dam created, the greater the likelihood of the occurrence of so-called induced seismic activity.

In places where earthquakes occur due to natural causes, human activity often overlaps with tectonic processes and provokes natural disasters. Such data imposes a certain responsibility on companies involved in the development of oil and gas fields.

Consequences

Strong earthquakes cause great destruction over large areas. The catastrophic nature of the consequences decreases with distance from the epicenter. The most dangerous results of destruction are various Collapse or deformation of production facilities associated with hazardous chemicals, leading to their release into environment. The same can be said about burial grounds and nuclear waste disposal sites. Seismic activity can cause contamination of vast areas.

In addition to numerous destructions in cities, earthquakes have consequences of a different nature. Seismic waves, as already noted, can cause landslides, mudflows, floods and tsunamis. After a natural disaster, earthquake zones often change beyond recognition. Deep cracks and failures, soil washout - these and other “transformations” of the landscape lead to significant environmental changes. They can lead to the death of the flora and fauna of the area. This is facilitated by various gases and metal compounds coming from deep faults, and simply by the destruction of entire sections of the habitat.

Strong and weak

The most impressive destruction remains after megaearthquakes. They are characterized by a magnitude greater than 8.5. Such disasters are fortunately extremely rare. As a result of similar earthquakes in the distant past, some lakes and river beds were formed. A picturesque example of the “activity” of a natural disaster is Lake Gek-Gol in Azerbaijan.

Weak earthquakes are a hidden threat. As a rule, it is very difficult to find out about the likelihood of their occurrence on the ground, while phenomena of more impressive magnitude always leave identification marks. Therefore, all industrial and residential facilities near seismically active zones are under threat. Such buildings include, for example, many nuclear power plants and power plants in the United States, as well as disposal sites for radioactive and toxic waste.

Earthquake areas

The uneven distribution of seismically dangerous zones on the world map is also associated with the peculiarities of the causes of natural disasters. IN Pacific Ocean there is a seismic belt, with which, one way or another, an impressive part of earthquakes is associated. It includes Indonesia, the west coast of Central and South America, Japan, Iceland, Kamchatka, Hawaii, Philippines, Kuril Islands and Alaska. The second most active belt is the Eurasian one: the Pyrenees, the Caucasus, Tibet, the Apennines, the Himalayas, Altai, the Pamirs and the Balkans.

The earthquake map is full of other potential danger zones. All of them are associated with places of tectonic activity, where there is a high probability of collision of lithospheric plates, or with volcanoes.

The Russian earthquake map is also complete sufficient quantity potential and existing outbreaks. The most dangerous zones in this sense are Kamchatka, Eastern Siberia, the Caucasus, Altai, Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. The most destructive earthquake in recent years in our country occurred on Sakhalin Island in 1995. Then the intensity of the natural disaster was almost eight points. The disaster led to the destruction of a large part of Neftegorsk.

The enormous danger of a natural disaster and the impossibility of preventing it forces scientists around the world to study earthquakes in detail: the causes and consequences, “identifying” signs and forecasting possibilities. It is interesting that technical progress, on the one hand, helps to more accurately predict threatening events, to detect the slightest changes in the internal processes of the Earth, and on the other hand, it also becomes a source of additional danger: accidents at hydroelectric and nuclear power plants, in mining sites, are added to surface faults. fires at work that are terrible in scale. The earthquake itself is a phenomenon as controversial as scientific and technological progress: it is destructive and dangerous, but it indicates that the planet is alive. According to scientists, a complete cessation of volcanic activity and earthquakes will mean the death of the planet in geological terms. The differentiation of the interior will be completed, the fuel that has been warming the interior of the Earth for several million years will run out. And it is still unclear whether there will be a place for people on the planet without earthquakes.

An earthquake is a physical vibration of the lithosphere - the solid shell of the earth's crust, which is in constant motion. Often such phenomena occur in mountainous areas. It is there that underground rocks continue to form, causing the Earth's crust to be especially mobile.

Causes of the disaster

The causes of earthquakes can be different. One of them is the displacement and collision of oceanic or continental plates. During such phenomena, the surface of the Earth vibrates noticeably and often leads to the destruction of buildings. Such earthquakes are called tectonic. They may form new depressions or mountains.

Volcanic earthquakes occur due to the constant pressure of hot lava and all kinds of gases on the earth's crust. Such earthquakes can last for weeks, but, as a rule, they do not cause massive destruction. In addition, such a phenomenon often serves as a prerequisite for a volcanic eruption, the consequences of which can be much more dangerous for people than the disaster itself.

There is another type of earthquake - landslide, which occurs for a completely different reason. Groundwater sometimes form underground voids. Under the pressure of the earth's surface, huge sections of the Earth fall down with a roar, causing small vibrations that can be felt many kilometers from the epicenter.

Earthquake scores

To determine the strength of an earthquake, they generally resort to either a ten- or twelve-point scale. The 10-point Richter scale determines the amount of energy released. The 12-point Medvedev-Sponheuer-Karnik system describes the impact of vibrations on the Earth's surface.

The Richter scale and the 12-point scale are not comparable. For example: scientists detonate a bomb underground twice. One at a depth of 100 m, the other at a depth of 200 m. The energy expended is the same, which leads to the same Richter rating. But the consequence of the explosion - displacement of the crust - has varying degrees of severity and has different effects on the infrastructure.

Degree of destruction

What is an earthquake from the point of view of seismic instruments? A one-point phenomenon is determined only by the equipment. 2 points can be sensitive animals, and also, in rare cases, especially sensitive people located on the upper floors. A score of 3 feels like the vibration of a building caused by a passing truck. A magnitude 4 earthquake causes slight rattling of glass. With a score of five, the phenomenon is felt by everyone, and it does not matter where the person is, on the street or in a building. An earthquake of magnitude 6 is called strong. It terrifies many: people run out into the street, and mother-in-laws form on some walls of houses. A score of 7 leads to cracks in almost all houses. 8 points: architectural monuments, factory chimneys, towers are knocked over, and cracks appear in the soil. 9 points lead to severe damage to houses. Wooden buildings either capsize or sag greatly. Magnitude 10 earthquakes lead to cracks in the ground up to 1 meter thick. 11 points is a disaster. Are collapsing stone houses and bridges. Landslides occur. No building can withstand 12 points. With such a catastrophe, the topography of the Earth changes, the flow of rivers is diverted and waterfalls appear.

Japanese earthquake

A destructive earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean, 373 km from the capital of Japan, Tokyo. This happened on March 11, 2011 at 14:46 local time.

A magnitude 9 earthquake in Japan led to massive destruction. The tsunami that hit East Coast countries, flooded significant part coastline, destroying houses, yachts and cars. The height of the waves reached 30-40 m. The immediate reaction of people prepared for such tests saved their lives. Only those who left home on time and ended up in safe place, were able to avoid death.

Japan earthquake victims

Unfortunately, there were no casualties. The Great East Japan Earthquake, as the event became officially known, claimed 16,000 lives. 350,000 people in Japan were left homeless, leading to internal migration. Many settlements were wiped off the face of the Earth, and there was no electricity even in large cities.

The earthquake in Japan radically changed the habitual way of life of the population and greatly undermined the economy of the state. The authorities estimated the losses caused by this disaster at $300 billion.

What is an earthquake from the point of view of a Japanese resident? It is a natural disaster that keeps the country in constant turmoil. The looming threat forces scientists to invent more accurate instruments for detecting earthquakes and more durable materials for building buildings.

Affected Nepal

On April 25, 2015, at 12:35 p.m., an almost 8-magnitude earthquake that lasted 20 seconds occurred in central Nepal. The following happened at 13:00. Aftershocks lasted until May 12. The reason was a geological fault on the line where the Hindustan plate meets the Eurasian plate. As a result of these tremors, the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu, moved to the south by three meters.

Soon the whole earth learned about the destruction caused by the earthquake in Nepal. Cameras installed directly on the street recorded the moment of the tremors and their consequences.

26 districts of the country, as well as Bangladesh and India, felt what an earthquake was like. Authorities are still receiving reports of missing people and collapsed buildings. 8.5 thousand Nepalese lost their lives, 17.5 thousand were injured, and about 500 thousand were left homeless.

The earthquake in Nepal caused real panic among the population. And it is not surprising, because people lost their relatives and saw how quickly what was dear to their hearts collapsed. But problems, as we know, unite, as was proven by the people of Nepal, who worked side by side to restore the former appearance of city streets.

Recent earthquake

On June 8, 2015, an earthquake of magnitude 5.2 occurred in Kyrgyzstan. This is the last earthquake to exceed magnitude 5.

Talking about scary natural disaster, one cannot fail to mention the earthquake on the island of Haiti that occurred on January 12, 2010. A series of tremors ranging from magnitude 5 to 7 claimed 300,000 lives. The world will remember this and other similar tragedies for a long time.

In March, the shores of Panama experienced a magnitude 5.6 earthquake. In March 2014, Romania and southwestern Ukraine learned the hard way what an earthquake is. Fortunately, there were no casualties, but many experienced anxiety before the disaster. Behind Lately earthquake scores did not cross the line of catastrophe.

Earthquake Frequency

So, the movement of the earth's crust has various natural causes. Earthquakes, according to seismologists, occur up to 500,000 annually in different parts Earth. Of these, approximately 100,000 are felt by people, and 1,000 cause serious damage: destroying buildings, highways and railways, breaks power lines, sometimes carries entire cities underground.