An Earthquake is one of the deadliest forms of natural disasters and has resulted in Millions and Millions of deaths. There are many facts and details about this form of natural disaster, some of which have been mentioned below.

Earthquake safety tips

There are two theories to survive an earthquake: the triangle of life theory and the drop and cover theory. The triangle of life theory says that if you are in a multistory building during an earthquake then you should lie down in a fetal position next to a bed, sofa or any other bulky object whereas the drop and cover theory says that you must drop and cover yourself indoors.

The energy of earthquakes

An earthquake measuring 2.0 on the Richter scale releases energy equivalent to .0151 tons of TNT whereas one measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale releases energy equivalent to .03 Hiroshima bombs. An earthquake that measures 8.3 on the Richter magnitude releases 2549 times the energy released by Hiroshima nuclear bombs.

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Rebuilding Haiti

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The Haiti earthquake measured 7.0 on the Richter scale and killed 316000 people. A total of $2.38 Billion were spent and $1.36 Billion were donated by the United States. Out of the 1.5 Million people that were displaced, 550000 are still living in camps.

Most dangerous and least dangerous locations to live in the US during an earthquake

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Alaska is the most earthquake-prone state in the US and receives a magnitude 7 earthquake each year. On the other hand, Florida and North Dakota have the least number of earthquakes in the USA.

Earthquake safety action guide

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To save yourself from an earthquake, you must cover your head to protect yourself from falling debris when outside and drop to the ground and take your position under a strong piece of furniture when inside.

The Tsunamis

Tsunamis are mostly caused by undersea earthquakes but can also occur due to undersea volcanoes, coastal landslides and even meteors. Some of the worst earthquakes to have occurred since 1900 include the Chile earthquake (1960), the Alaska earthquake (1964) and the Alaska earthquake (1957).

An earthquake’s global reach

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An earthquake of magnitude 8.9 off the coastline of Japan’s island of Honshu managed to create a vast disturbance in the Pacific Ocean that could be felt all around its rim. This goes onto show how an earthquake can affect areas surrounding the main area of the occurrence of the earthquake.

Reasons for the regular occurrence of earthquakes in New Zealand

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New Zealand sits at a place where two plates namely Australian plate and the Pacific plate, meet and this is one of the major reasons why it experiences so many earthquakes. Along these plates, there are many faults in the earth’s crust which can break when stress builds up. This movement releases a lot of energy which is experienced as an earthquake on the surface.

Top 8 earthquakes in Japan since 1890

The Hokkaido and Okushiri earthquake that occurred on July 12, 1993 is the top quake on the list of earthquakes in Japan but the earthquake that took most deaths in Japan is the Great Kanto Quake that occurred on September 1, 1923.