Ground shaking during the 2010 Haiti earthquake caused most of the houses in this residential...

Ground shaking during the 2010 Haiti earthquake caused most of the houses in this residential neighborhood to collapse.

Haiti 2010

Christchurch 2011

Earth: Portrait of a Planet, 4th EditionCopyright © 2012 W. W. Norton & Company

Tsunami washes over coastal Japan 2011

Seismometer

Seismogram

P waves

Earth: Portrait of a Planet, 4th EditionCopyright © 2012 W. W. Norton & Company

S Waves

Earth: Portrait of a Planet, 4th EditionCopyright © 2012 W. W. Norton & Company

LOCATING THE EPICENTER OF AN EARTHQUAKE

Three seismograms are needed (Triangulation)

Costa Rica, Ireland and Philippines

Seismogram for Costa Rica

P wave

S wave

Surface wave

10:15AM 10:20AM 10:25AM 10:30AM

Seismogram for Costa Rica

Richter Scale

Amount of energy released during an earthquake

MERCALLI INTENSITY SCALE

Intensity Description Destructiveness (Extent of damage)

I Instrumental Detected only by instruments; causes no damage

II Feeble Felt by a few stationary people, especially in the upper floors of buildings; suspended objects like lamps may swing.

III Slight Felt indoors; standing automobiles sway on their suspensions; it seems as though a heavy truck is passing.

IV Moderate Shaking awakens some sleepers; dishes and windows rattle.

V Rather strong Most people awaken; some dishes and windows break, unstable objects tip over; trees and poles sway.

VI Strong Shaking frightens some people; plaster walls crack, heavy furniture moves slightly, and a few chimneys crack but overall little damage occurs.

VII Very Strong General alarm; Most people are frightened and run outside; a lot of plaster cracks, windows break, some chimneys topple, and unstable furniture overturns; poorly constructed buildings sustain considerable damage.

VIII Destructive Many chimneys and factory smokestacks topple; masonry cracks; heavy furniture overturns; substantial buildings sustain some damage, and poorly constructed buildings sustain severe damage.

IX Ruinous Some buildings collapse; frame buildings separate from their foundations; most buildings sustain damage, and the ground cracks, underground pipes break and rails bend: some landslides occur.

X Disastrous The ground severely cracks in places; most masonry structures and some well constructed wooden structures are destroyed; many landslides occur along steep slopes; some bridges collapse; some sediment liquefies; concrete dams may crack; facades on many buildings collapse; railways and roads suffer severe damage.

XI Very Disastrous Few masonry buildings remain standing; many bridges collapse; broad fissures form in the ground; most pipelines break; severe liquefaction of sediment occurs; some dams collapse; facades on most buildings collapse or are severely damaged.

XII Catastrophic Earthquake waves cause visible undulations of the ground surface; objects are thrown up off the ground; there is complete destruction of buildings and bridges of all types.