In depth information on earthquakes
CauseAn earthquake is a natural hazard that occurs when two tectonic plates slowly move past each other causing friction between the plates, which then releases a sequence of powerful energy waves that are called seismic waves that then shakes the surface of the earth. Occasionally, earthquakes have foreshocks, these are smaller earthquakes that follow along with the larger earthquakes, usually a foreshock is unidentified until a larger earthquake occurs after the small shock.
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ProcessThe larger earthquake is usually called the mainshock, whereas the smaller ones are obviously called the foreshock.The earth is made up of four layers; the inner core, which is the very middle and last layer, the outer core, the mantle and the crust (earth's surface). On top of the inner and outer core, the mantle and crust formed a jigsaw like layer on the earth surface. We call these jigsaw pieces tectonic plates, on each edge of a plate there are areas called plate boundaries, these plate boundaries are held together by many faults.
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EffectWhile the faults grab onto each other, and the rest of the other tectonic plates are moving, the energy and stress between the two plates that are stuck. When the two plates finally collide, all the energy that was stored up is released and all the energy radiates onto the earth’s surface in all directions forming seismic waves like a ripple effect. When the effect reaches the earth’s surface all the energy causes it to shake uncontrollably until the energy dies down.
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