Summary: Review of Information

Geophysics of Earthquakes

1)     Geophysics is a branch of science that applies physical principles to the study of the earth. Seismology, or the study of earthquakes, is one of the sub-branches of Geophysics.

2)     Every year, more than 1 million earthquakes are recorded by a network of seismographs around the world. According to U.S. Geological Survey, there are more than 1000 earthquakes annually of magnitude more than 5.

3)     If a trip to the center of Earth at 100 km/h were possible, it would take 64 hours, of which only the first 15 to 45 minutes would be in the crust.

4)     Most earthquakes occur when great stresses building up within the earth are suddenly released. This sudden release of this stored energy causes movement of the earth's crust along fractures, called faults, and generates shock waves. These shock waves, or seismic waves, radiate in all directions from the focus, much as ripples radiate outward in two dimensions when a pebble is dropped into a pond.

5)     The vibrations produced by earthquakes are detected and recorded by instruments called seismographs. The time of occurrence, the duration of shaking, the locations of the epicenter and focus, and estimates of the energy released can be obtained from data from seismographs set up around the world.

6)     Earthquakes give rise to effects like Ground failure, liquefaction and differential settlement, as well as contribute to Tsunamis, landslides & floods.

7)     Surface waves like Love waves and Rayleigh waves are responsible for most of the damage occurring to buildings.

8)     Earthquakes do not kill man, Buildings do…

9)     Scientists can find the epicentre of an Earthquake by triangulation between 3 Earthquake recording stations.

10) Scientists have been trying to develop ways to predict earthquakes, but have met with very little success in "Earthquake Prediction".

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