Essay On Earthquakes

Despite the seemingly solid nature of Earth, forces are constantly at work. Far beneath the surface, intense heat creates and destroys—and this, in turn, generates tremendous energy. The energy must be released some how, so natural disasters called “earthquakes” occur. Earth is a constantly changing and complex planet. It is not a solid ball of rock; rather, the planet is made up of a core, mantle, and crust, with each of these further divided into more layers. The outer layers of Earth’s crust are recycled and remade through a process described as plate tectonics, in which the outer layers glide over the mantle of the earth (Abbott, 2012). A supercontinent called Pangaea, which included the continents we know today, was created and pulled apart by plate tectonics about 200 million years ago (“Pangaea,” n.d.). There are three types of tectonic boundaries: divergent, subduction (or convergent), and transform. In subduction zones, one tectonic plate slides under another plate, …show more content…
Location is one of the most important factors in an earthquake’s strength. How long the fault is, how deep the fault slips, what the rocks around the fault are, and how many people live nearby all have an impact on the intensity. The longer a fault is, the more energy produced. If an earthquake originates from a deep fault, less energy reaches the surface and dissipates quickly; contrary to that, energy from shallow earthquakes take longer to dissipate and can be more destructive (Choi, 2013). If a fault is surrounded by old, solid rock, more of the earthquake’s energy will be swallowed in comparison to one surrounded by sediment. Finally, how many people live near the epicenter of the earthquake can determine its effects. An earthquake that strikes near India, for example, will affect a greater number of people than an earthquake that shakes