Fun Facts About Earthquakes
Feel the Earth tremble as you explore these fun facts about earthquakes.
Basic Facts About Earthquakes
An earthquake occurs when energy is released from the Earth’s crust.
This energy released causes the ground to shake or tremble.
While mild earthquakes cause only the slightest tremor, major earthquakes are massively destructive.
Buildings can collapse, the ground can open up, and earthquakes can trigger fires, landslides, and tsunamis.
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10 Fun Facts About Earthquakes
Make the science of earthquakes more fun with these fascinating facts about earthquakes.
Grinding Plates Causes Earthquakes
The surface of the Earth is not like an orange peel. It’s like a puzzle.
The puzzle pieces that make up the Earth’s surface are called tectonic plates.
Unlike a tabletop puzzle, tectonic plates are constantly moving because of the magma below the surface.
When the tectonic plates push together, pull apart, or rub each other, it creates stress that transforms into the energy release of an earthquake.
Volcanoes Can Trigger Earthquakes
Although the shifting of tectonic plates is the leading cause of earthquakes, volcanoes are another cause.
Magma can move through rock layers, creating pressure released as an earthquake.
Underground magma can also pool under the Earth’s surface, forming a bulge (or even an explosion) that triggers an earthquake.
Earthquake Energy Moves in Waves
When you think of waves, no doubt you think of the ocean. Did you know that the energy of earthquakes also moves in waves?
Primary waves move through solids and liquids. They move like a slinky that expands and contracts.
Secondary waves only move through solids. They cause the ground to move up and down or side to side.
Surface waves, as the name suggests, only move along the surface of the Earth.
One type of surface wave, the Rayleigh wave, causes the ground to move up and down in swells, so the Earth looks just like the waves of the sea.
Scientists Who Study Earthquakes Are Called Seismologists
The Greeks called earthquakes seismos, so scientists who study earthquakes are called seismologists.
Seismologists study the causes of earthquakes, measure earthquakes, and develop models to predict future earthquakes.
They use instruments called seismographs, sensitive instruments that detect and record earthquake waves.
Earthquakes Are Measured on the Richter Scale
In 1935, two famous seismologists, Charles Richter and Beno Gutenberg, developed a scale to measure the intensity of an earthquake.
The Richter scale measures earthquake intensity and assigns a value between 2.0 and 9.0.
The larger the number, the more energy in the earthquake.
Earthquakes smaller than 2.0 on the scale can rarely be felt by humans.
Earthquakes over 5.0 can cause significant damage.
The most powerful earthquake ever recorded occurred in Chile in 1960. It measured over 8.5.
Earthquakes Can Cause a Tsunami
The sea rests on top of tectonic plates. When those plates shift and grind together, the energy is released in waves that travel through the water.
If this happens close to a shoreline, it can lead to a tsunami.
A tsunami is not a single wave but a series of waves. The highest wave in a tsunami can reach over 100 feet high.
Tsunamis are devasting, but they are also rare events.
You Can’t Outrun an Earthquake
Earthquake waves are extremely fast. The fastest type of wave is the Primary Wave (or P-Wave).
P-waves travel up to 9 miles per second. That’s about sixteen times faster than a bullet.
If you see a surface wave, you will instantly feel the earthquake.
That’s why seismologists are working to predict earthquakes before they happen.
The Moon Has Moonquakes
You’ve heard of earthquakes, but did you know about moonquakes?
Earth’s moon experiences tremors as well.
Moonquakes are much more gentle than earthquakes.
Scientists believe they are caused by the Earth’s gravitational pull on the Moon.
Earthquakes Happen in Clusters
Most earthquakes happen in a series or cluster.
The first waves are called forewaves. These are small “warning” waves before the main event.
The mainshock is the largest wave. It follows the foreshocks.
After the mainshock come smaller tremors. These are called aftershocks.
Earthquakes Frequently Occur in the Ring of Fire
The Ring of Fire is the edge of the Pacific tectonic plate.
It runs along the west coast of North America, to the south of Alaska, and to the east of Asia.
The Pacific tectonic plate is very active and frequently shifting.
This causes numerous volcanoes and earthquakes as it rubs against neighboring plates.
Read More About Earthquakes
Did these fun facts pique your interest? Learn more about earthquakes by checking out these books.
National Geographic Kids Everything Volcanoes and Earthquakes
This book makes science facts fun for kids in early elementary.
Shake, Rattle, and Roll: Exploring the Science of Earthquakes
Full of facts and interactive experiments, this earthquake book works well for upper elementary and early middle school.
Volcanoes and Earthquakes: A Guide to Our Unique Earth
Teens and adults will enjoy this book published by the Smithsonian.
Fascinating Earthquake Facts
Earth is truly an incredible place. Delve into the science behind earthquakes with these fun facts about earthquakes.
