Earthquakes Flashcards
(6 cards)
What is a Earthquake?
The shaking or trembling caused by the sudden release of energy, faulting of rocks.
Elastic Rebound Theory
- Rocks bend until the strength of the rock is exceeded.
- Rupture occurs and the rocks quickly rebound to an undeformed shape.
- Energy is released in waves that radiate outward from the fault
What are Seismic Waves?
Response of material to the arrival of energy fronts released by rupture.
The cause of an earthquake in Japan
Japan gets lots of earthquakes because it lies between 3 crustal plates - the Eurasian plate, Philippine plate and Pacific plate.
5 Impacts that the shaking had on people and the landscape in Japan?
- Houses and buildings have collapsed.
- Mud spirts up making it hard to get past.
- People being trapped.
- Tsunami starts to arrive.
- Cars, buildings are being washed away.
Impacts on Earthquakes
- A 20km exclusion zone was setup around Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant.
- Japan has invested in earthquake proof building that sway instead of shake.
- People were given education about evacuation.
- They have an early warning system, bouys in the Pacific Ocean and use of satalites for tsunamis allowing time for evacuation.
- Tsunami walls were put in place to stop the water from going and flooding the village.
- Children in Japanese schools learn about what they have to do in an earthquake.