An earthquake is what happens when two blocks of the earth suddenly slip past one another. The surface where they slip is called the fault or fault plane. The location below the earth’s surface where the earthquake starts is called the hypocenter, and the location directly above it on the surface of the earth is called the epicenter.
One of the determining factors when it comes to how devastating an earthquake can be is whether the place it happened in is wealthy or poor. The reason why this can determine how devastating an earthquake can be is because as you can imagine a wealthy country is going to have more safety precautions than a poor country other factor is the infrastructure the infrastructure in a wealthy country is going to be more prepared to withstand and earthquake where a poor country will have a lot weaker infrastructure.
I would like to give some of my own advice from research that I have done for what to de when an earthquake does happen. Something important to do before an earthquake is to have a meet up spot incase you get separated from your family or friends as well have a kit with food and water incase things get really bad. Things that you can do during an earthquake. It is really important to stay away from buildings and places that can present to be a hazard during an earthquake try to find an open area. Things you can do after an earthquake first of all make sure everyone you are with is okay. Stay away from building since they can still be unstable even after the earthquake and wait for authorities for further instructions. Another important thing to know is the drop cover and hold on strategy with can help you survive in the case you find yourseld inside a building and reaching the exit could be considered a safety hazard.
Tsunamis are giant waves caused by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions under the sea. Out in the depths of the ocean, tsunami waves do not dramatically increase in height. But as the waves travel inland, they build up to higher and higher heights as the depth of the ocean decreases. The speed of tsunami waves depends on ocean depth rather than the distance from the source of the wave. Tsunami waves may travel as fast as jet planes over deep waters, only slowing down when reaching shallow waters. While tsunamis are often referred to as tidal waves, this name is discouraged by oceanographers because tides have little to do with these giant waves.
things you can do before a tsunami. Make sure to check your house for potential risks for flooding ensure to have a safety kit. Things to do during a tsunami. DO NOT GO TO shore this is extremely dangerous if you can see the tsunami you are to close to escape in the case that you can not get to higher ground make sure to stay inside a bulding and try to be far away from windows and things that can fall on you. Things to do after a tsunami. Stay away from the hazard zone until said other wise and stay away where there has been a lot of damage.
A catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake struck Haiti at 16:53 local time (21:53 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. The epicenter was near the town of Léogâne, Ouest department, approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks measuring 4.5 or greater had been recorded. An estimated three million people were affected by the quake. Death toll estimates range from 100,000 to about 160,000 to Haitian government figures from 220,000 to 316,000, although these latter figures are a matter of some dispute. The government of Haiti estimated that 250,000 residences and 30,000 commercial buildings had collapsed or were severely damaged. The nation's history of national debt, prejudicial trade policies by other countries, and foreign intervention into national affairs contributed to the existing poverty and poor housing conditions that increased the death toll from the disaster.
A powerful undersea earthquake that struck off the coast of Sumatra island, Indonesia, set off the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, also known as the Christmas or Boxing Day tsunami, on Sunday morning, Dec. 26, 2004. The magnitude 9.1 quake ruptured a 900-mile stretch of fault line where the Indian and Australian tectonic plates meet. It was a powerful megathrust quake, occurring where a heavy ocean plate slips under a lighter continental plate. The quake caused the ocean floor to suddenly rise by as much as 40 meters, triggering a massive tsunami. Within 20 minutes of the earthquake, the first of several 100-foot waves hit the shoreline of Banda Aceh, killing more than 100,000 people and pounding the city into rubble. Then, in succession, tsunami waves rolled over coastlines in Thailand, India, and Sri Lanka, killing tens of thousands more. Eight hours later and 5,000 miles from its Asian epicenter, the tsunami claimed its final casualties on the coast of South Africa. In all, nearly 230,000 people were killed, making it one of the deadliest disasters in modern history.