Why are there earthquakes

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One of the catastrophes most feared by human beings is undoubtedly earthquakes, an element that makes people tremble the ground that we walk on and that, depending on its magnitude, can knock down buildings and cause many calamities. In this lesson from a TEACHER we will talk about why are there earthquakes, speaking of the elements that have to interact, in addition to the different existing levels and the geographical locations most likely to suffer this type of earth movement.

Index

1. The causes of earthquakes
2. The Richter scale
3. Tsunamis or earthquakes in the water

This question has a very simple answer: earthquakes or earthquakes (as they are mentioned in academic settings) are the result of movements caused by plate tectonics or, what is the same, the movements that the tectonic plates throughout the year.

These movements make plates come into friction with each other, causing sudden movements, which generate the so-called earthquakes.

Other causes

But it is also possible that there are earthquakes due to other causes that can take place on our planet. The most common are the following:

• Volcanic eruptions: on some occasions, the expulsion of gases or lava outside the Earth from its core can cause earthquakes of greater or lesser intensity to form. This occurs since the magmatic material, as it passes through the conduits that lead to the outside of the planet, can push the different tectonic plates that are in its path, causing them to move abruptly and even causing one to mount on top of other. This causes real catastrophes to occur, because in addition to the eruption, earthquakes can occur in the same place, with the consequent movements of the earth.
• Mining explosions: On the other hand, mining uses explosives to break through the interior of the earth and thus be able to bring to light the various minerals to be extracted. This causes that, on some occasions, earth movements occur that cause earthquakes, which within gravity they are usually not very dangerous, with few cases affecting the foundations of the buildings.

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We continue with the lesson on why there are earthquakes, talking about the well-known Richter scale. It is a statistic to record the power or severity of earthquakes produced anywhere in the world. Within this scale, there are several levels ranging from less than 2 to 10; Within these we can divide the earthquakes into:

• From 2 to 3'9: They are the so-called minor earthquakes and in many cases they are not perceptible within the normal life of human beings. They occur on many occasions and have been recorded up to about 49,000 per year.
• From 4 to 5'9: these have a greater range and are called moderate, at times they can cause some damage to the infrastructure of buildings. Likewise, there are stages of the year that are more prone to these earthquakes, calculating that there are about 800 per year.
• From 6 to 8: earthquakes that fall within this group seriously damage building infrastructures, being able to cause some of them to fall. Therefore, they are within the so-called powerful and governments have plans in case one has to act on one of these. They are usually considered catastrophic.
• From 8 to 10: on very rare occasions we are going to encounter these earthquakes and, if they happen, they are the most destructive. They can end up with miles around from their core of action. They are usually considered apocalyptic.

To conclude our lesson on why there are earthquakes, we will talk about the big waves, elements of nature very feared throughout our history. In fact, there are many legends about huge waves that wiped out entire cities, causing serious human losses.

These types of calamities are called tidal waves and are nothing more than ocean earthquakes, that is, they occur on oceanic plates. They have as a result the creation of a great wave that, when making contact with some portion of land, discharges all its force since they can reach between 600-800 km / h.

This kind of calamities they usually occur in the Asian area since there are several very active faults and plates (although in the Atlantic they have also been recorded throughout history). In this other lesson from a TEACHER we will discover you why tsunamis occur so that you better understand the origin of this phenomenon.

If you want to read more articles similar to Why There Are Earthquakes - Discover The Most Common Causes, we recommend that you enter our category of geology.