Earthquakes
Please note whatever images you may see may be disturbing to some people. However none of the images contain gore. :)
Commonly asked questions?
What is an earthquake?
An earthquake is when two tectonic plates meet up against each other and create pressure against each other.
How long does an earthquake usually last?
This really depends on how big the earthquake is. For example, an earthquake that has a magnitude of above 10 could last minutes. Although earthquakes can do damage that last weeks most of them do last longer than a few seconds.
What are the signs of a big earthquake coming?
The scary part about an earthquake is really we can’t really tell it's coming until it comes. However, if it's big we can usually pick up a foreshock of the quake. The foreshock is before the aftershock and it's usually just a slow beginning of the earthquake before the big aftershock that happens.
How many Earthquakes happen in a year?
The number varies and it is not 100% accurate. While we calculate about 20,000 earthquakes each year there are about 1.3 million earthquakes that happen but are too small to be felt.
Can Earthquakes Pass a Magnitude of 10.0 exist?
Yes and no. Technically a magnitude of 10.0+ could destroy the earth and something compelling would have to cause it to happen. Could it happen though? Yes. In fact, some scientists believe the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs some 65 million years ago may have caused an earthquake of 12.55 magnitude.
NOTE: Seismic moment is measured in Newton-meters (N • m or Nm). So whenever you hear a magnitude that is what is being referred to.
Deadliest Earthquakes:
5. Gansu, China-December 16, 1920
This earthquake is often referred to as the Haiyuan earthquake. The second deadliest earthquake in the 20th century. This
earthquake had a magnitude of 7.5 that caused major ruptures in the land of Gansu. Its devastations cause approximately 10 billion dollars in damages and killed 235,000 people. On top of that, it created landslides that were devastating to the land.
4. Antioch-May 21, 526ce
One of the earliest on the list is the earthquake in Antioch. During Mid-morning in Syria, this earthquake struck and wiped nearly 250,000 people in what is now south-central of turkey. This did a lot of damage to the Byzantine Empire despite their enduring for many centuries later. Its magnitude is unknown, since seismometers didn't exist at the time.
3. Haiti - January 12, 2010
This earthquake was one of the worst and most recent earthquakes. It was a massive earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0. It killed 316,000 people with an additional 3.5 million people who suffered from a shortage of food and clean water.
2. Tangshan, China - July 28, 1976
Deaths: 650,000
While Gansu was the second deadliest in the 20th century. Tangshan was possibly the first deadliest in this century. The 7.5 earthquake caused more than 85% of buildings to be destroyed. The official death toll of this earthquake was 240,000 - 250,000 but many observers speculate that up to 650,000 people may have died.
- Shaanxi China - January 23, 1556
This magnitude is unknown due to seismometers not existing at the time however it was estimated to be a magnitude around 8.0. Up to 830,000 people may have died in this earthquake. Many of the deaths or casualties in this earthquake were caused by falling buildings. Research tells us that the earthquake lasted only around 23 seconds but its destruction is similar to lighting off 6 million tons of TNT. This earthquake was nothing more than pure chaos for the people in Shaanxi, China.
Please note that these were not the largest earthquakes but rather the most deadliest earthquakes.
