All About Earthquakes

Front

What is an earthquake?

Back

An earthquake is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves.

Front

What causes earthquakes?

Back

Earthquakes are caused by the movement of tectonic plates, volcanic activity, or human activities such as mining and reservoir-induced seismicity.

Front

What are tectonic plates?

Back

Tectonic plates are large, rigid pieces of the Earth's lithosphere that move and interact with each other, causing geological activity such as earthquakes.

Front

What are the three main types of plate boundaries?

Back

The three main types of plate boundaries are convergent, divergent, and transform boundaries.

Front

What happens at a convergent boundary?

Back

At a convergent boundary, two tectonic plates move toward each other, which can cause one plate to be forced beneath the other, leading to earthquakes and volcanic activity.

Front

What happens at a divergent boundary?

Back

At a divergent boundary, two tectonic plates move away from each other, creating new crust as magma rises to the surface, often resulting in earthquakes.

Front

What happens at a transform boundary?

Back

At a transform boundary, two tectonic plates slide past each other horizontally, which can cause earthquakes due to friction.

Front

What is the Richter scale?

Back

The Richter scale is a logarithmic scale used to measure the magnitude of earthquakes, based on the amplitude of seismic waves.

Front

What is the difference between magnitude and intensity of an earthquake?

Back

Magnitude measures the energy released at the source of the earthquake, while intensity measures the effects of the earthquake at different locations.

Front

What is a fault line?

Back

A fault line is a fracture or zone of fractures between two blocks of rock, which can lead to earthquakes when stress builds up and is released.