Causes and Effects of

Earthquakes

What is an Earthquake ?
Earthquakes are the shaking, rolling
or sudden shock of the earths
surface.
They are the Earth's natural means
of releasing stress.

What causes an Earthquake ?

There are about 20 plates along the surface of the

earth that move continuously and slowly past
each other. When the plates squeeze or stretch,
huge rocks form at their edges and the rocks shift
with great force, causing an earthquake.
As the plates move they put forces on themselves
and each other. When the force is large enough,
the crust is forced to break. When the break
occurs, the stress is released as energy, which
moves through the Earth in the form of waves,
which we feel and call an earthquake.

What is Epicenter ?

TheEpicenter is the point on the Earths

surface i.e. directly above the hypocenter or
focus, the point where an earthquake or
underground explosion originates.

In the case of earthquakes, the epicenter is

directly above the point where
thefaultbegins to rupture, and in most cases,
it is the area of greatest damage.

What is a fault ?

A fault is an area of stress in the

earth where broken rocks slide past
each other, causing a crack in the
Earth's surface.

Causes of Earthquakes
Natural cause:
Earthquakes are the result of slow-moving processes
that operate within Earth.
Earth was hot when it formed, and has been cooling
ever since (near the surface, for each km into Earth,
the temperature rises by about 30deg. Celsius).
Earth's cooling causes the portions of Earth to move,
and that movement is what we call an earthquake.

Some of the human decisions

that have induced earthquakes:
Dams and reservoirs:
It's just water, but, water isheavy. Large reservoirs
of water created by dams have a long history of
inducing earthquakes. The2008 earthquake in
Sichuan, China, that killed nearly 70,000 people
was one of the most devastating in recent
memory, and some scientists think it was triggered
by the construction of the Zipingpu Dam nearby.

 Groundwater extraction:
Taking water out of ground, which causes the
water table to drop, can also destabilize an
existing fault.
Geothermal power plants:
As the geothermal field
operations have ramped up,
seismic activity has increased
there.

 Fracking and injection wells:

When waste fracking fluid is injected
back underground into deep wells.
The fluid can seep out and lubricate
faults, causing them to slip more
easily.

 Skyscrapers:
It is about putting too much pressure
on the soft sedimentary rock below.
This stress is due to all the extra
steel and concrete used to make the
skyscraper solid enough
to withstand earthquakes.

Effects of Earthquakes
The destructive effects of an
earthquake can be classified into
primary and secondary effects.

Primary effects:
They are the immediate damage caused by
the quake, such as collapsing buildings,
roads and bridges, which may kill many
people. Those lucky enough to survive can
suffer badly from shock and panic.

Secondary effects:
They are the after-effects of the
earthquake.
Secondary
effects of
earthquakes
Tsunamis

Soil
liquefacti
on

Fire

Disease
and
famine

Landslide
s

 Fire: earthquakes destroy gas pipes and

electric cables, causing fires to spread.
Broken water mains prevent the Fires
being extinguished. Fires spread very
quickly in cities, especially in poor-quality
housing areas where wooden buildings are
common.

 Tsunamis: an earthquake on the sea floor or

close to the coast may cause huge waves.
Landslides: earthquakes
often cause landslides,
especially in steep river
valleys and areas of
weak rocks.

 Disease and famine: fresh water supplies are

often cut off causing typhoid and cholera. Lack
of shelter and food causes much suffering.
Soil liquefaction: when
soils with a high water
content are violently
shaken they lose their
mechanical strength and
behave like a fluid and so
buildings can literally sink.

Mitigation
The instigation of siting, structural,
and land use regulations to decrease
existing risk, and prevent future risk.
Retrofitting existing buildings
Transferring the responsibility of the
risk by getting insurance.
Also educating the public and raising
awareness of earthquake risks

Precautionary Methods
Personal Level
Before

Ensuring that the building in which you live meets

construction requirements to withstand earthquakes.
Secure cupboard doors with latches
Bolt and secure heavy objects to the floor and walls
Repair and cracks as earthquakes can turn cracks into
ruptures
Ensuring that the building in which you live meets
construction requirements to withstand earthquakes.
Secure cupboard doors with latches
Bolt and secure heavy objects to the floor and walls
Repair and cracks as earthquakes can turn cracks into
ruptures

During
When indoors stand in doorways and
crouch under desks and tables
When outside stand in large open
areas away from light poles, trees,
and anything that may fall
In an automobile drive away from
bridges and stop in the safest place
possible

After
Evacuate the building as soon as shaking stops
Check for injured persons
Check for safety hazards, broken gas mains,
etc.
Turn off utilities and do no use any open flames
Keep battery operated radio and listen for
updates
Wear shoes and protective clothing
Be prepared for aftershocks

Government level
Provide a building standard for
contractors to allow for sound
housing.
Educating the population on
earthquakes as a hazard.
Putting in place safety regulations
such as a standard for the number of
emergency exits.
Providing service teams for search
and rescue operations after the

Prediction Methods and Techniques

Methods
Examining historical evidence
Monitoring crustal movement and
volcanic activity
Studying the electrical and magnetic
changes in rocks
Watching for unusual behaviour in
animals

Developed vs. Developing countries

Developing countries tend to suffer more
damage than Developed countries because
The buildings in LDCs are of a poorer quality and
are more subject to collapsing during
earthquakes, as building codes are not enforced
Lack of resources for proper evacuation leading to
a greater loss of life
More developed countries however will have a
greater cost of overall damage
They will also have a smaller amount of casualties
There is a general lack of scientific knowledge
about disaster preparedness

Earthquake Zoning
for Pakistan