Earthquakes and Related Phenomena
Earthquakes and Related Phenomena
Earthquake Web Resources
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/
Deadliest Earthquakes on Record
Introduction to Earthquakes
• ~1 million earthquakes a year
• Change of 1 Mw = ~30 X energy
• Great earthquakes; Ms >8
• Major earthquakes; Ms=7-7.9 (widespread damage)
• Moderate earthquakes: Ms=6 (considerable damage)
• Population factors: density, land use,
and building construction
Ms Earthquakes/year 8.5 - 8.9 0.3 8.0 - 8.4 1.1 7.5 - 7.9 3.1 7.0 - 7.4 15 6.5 - 6.9 56 6.0 - 6.4 210
Where do earthquakes occur?
Plate boundaries, but not only – intraplate earthquakes are also common
Earthquake Occurrence
• Most occur along plate boundaries.– Loma Prieta (1989)– North Ridge (1994)
• Intraplate earthquakes
– Can be large and quite damaging.
• New Madrid zone is a foundered rift zone
• Salt Lake City and south into New Mexico
• Charleston, S.C.
Largest US Earthquakes
Relationship of Earthquakes to Faults
Earthquake Processes
• Faults, Folds & Concealed Faults, and Movement– Fractures
• Faults are fractures or systems along which rocks have been displaced
– Model: brick -bungee cord on a winch; sand paper• Joints are fractures and fractures systems along with rocks have NOT
been displaced• Slip rate aver. long-term rate of movement ( mm/yr or m/1000 yrs);
risky measurement• Seismic waves produced by rupture• Faults-seismic sources; used to evaluate the earthquake risk in a
given area
Earthquake Processes
• Fault types • Strike-slip faults only have horizontal displacement (right-or
left-lateral)
• Normal faults occur where the hanging wall moves down with respect to the foot wall; results in crustal extension
• Reverse faults occur when the hanging wall moves up with respect to the foot wall; results in crustal shortening; low fault plane angle ( less than 45°)= thrust fault
• Oblique faults have both horizontal and vertical components
• Buried faults may cause earthquakes and have to surface expression
Faults – Understanding Strike and Dip