Earthquakes, as we generally know them, are the shaking of the surface of the Earth. With the given definition, we already know what happens during an earthquake. We are aware of how it affects life since we experience it already, but do we ever wonder how earthquakes start? Where it originates; what causes it to happen, and how do we or can we prevent it from coming?
Earthquakes originate in what we call Focus. Focus is the spot underground where earthquakes started. Directly above the focus, is the point called the epicenter or the point in the Earth's crust where rupture begins. The Earth is made up of three layers. First is the crust, next is mantle, and then the core.The layer in which earthquakes often occur is the crust or upper mantle, which is the planet's outer layer. When we are dealing with the earth's crust, there are what we call "tectonic plates," which make up the earth's crust. These tectonic plates are also called "lithospheric plates," massive slabs of solid rock composed of both continental and oceanic. Though we are not aware of it, these tectonic plates are constantly moving. During its movement, sometimes it got stuck at its edges due to friction. Since it got stuck because of friction, it leads to pressure build up over a long period of time. When the stress of the edges overcomes the friction, crust sections break or become displaced. The energy is released in the form of waves or what we call seismic waves. These waves travel through the earth's crust which causes the ground motion or the ground shaking that everyone feels. Apart from naturally occurring at the edge of the tectonic plates, earthquakes can also occur along faults/fault lines. Fault lines are cracks in the lithosphere created from the distortion of the crust caused by the movement of the plates. This naturally occurring earthquake is called a tectonic earthquake. However, from tectonic, there is another type of earthquake caused by the movement of rising lava or magma from active volcanoes. It is called a volcanic earthquake.
We've managed to answer where earthquakes originate, what causes them, and what are its types. We are moving on to what happens during an earthquake.
During an earthquake, a lot of dangerous things happen. Its impact is so huge that surprisingly, even an island pops out of nowhere, and some sink. Lives are gone, including animals and vegetation, and buildings and skyscrapers collapse, causing even bigger damage. It also triggers tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and other natural phenomena. All of these things may happen that nothing and no one's exempted. Its horrible to think that we can not escape the tremendous impact created by earthquake since it is a natural phenomena, and obviously, it is naturally occurring weather we like it or not. But the effect also depends on how great the numbers measured from both intensity and magnitude.
With all these things happening, one should be prepared since the earthquake is non-predictable. No one and nothing in this world until today can predict the exact date and time an earthquake may occur though seismologists can estimate where earthquakes may be likely to strike by calculating probabilities. It is better to have knowledge on how to make ourselves and our loved ones safe. Follow standard safety protocols and government orders, and don’t panic when dealing with how to survive the said phenomena.
