82 Chapter 11 Earthquakes — Physical Geology – 2nd Edition

Chapter 11 Earthquakes

After carefully reading this chapter, completing the exercises within it, and answering the questions at the end, you should be able to:

  • Explain how the principle of elastic deformation applies to earthquakes.
  • Describe how the main shock and the immediate aftershocks define the rupture surface of an earthquake, and explain how stress transfer is related to aftershocks.
  • Explain the process of episodic tremor and slip.
  • Describe the relationship between earthquakes and plate tectonics, including where we should expect earthquakes to happen at different types of plate boundaries and at what depths.
  • Distinguish between earthquake magnitude and intensity, and explain some of the ways of estimating magnitude.
  • Explain the importance of collecting intensity data following an earthquake.
  • Describe how earthquakes lead to the destruction of buildings and other infrastructure, fires, slope failures, liquefaction, and tsunami.
  • Discuss the value of earthquake forecasting, and describe some of the steps that governments and individuals can take to minimize the impacts of large earthquakes.
image

Figure 11.0.1 The scene in San Francisco, California after a major earthquake struck there in 1906. A breakout of fires was the main hazard generated due to the violent shaking severing gas and utility lines. Back then, emergency utility shutoffs were not invented yet and nobody knew exactly why this area was so prone to earthquakes. The advent of the Theory of Plate Tectonics answered this question.

Earthquakes scare people … a lot! That’s not surprising because time and time again earthquakes have caused massive damage and many injuries and deaths. Anyone who has lived through a strong earthquake cannot forget the experience (Figure 11.0.1). But geoscientists and engineers are getting better at understanding earthquakes, minimizing the amount of damage they cause, and reducing the number of people affected. People living in Colorado usually don’t need to be frightened by earthquakes, but some anomalous events have taken place in the state before. We’ll discuss more about these later in the chapter.

Media Attributions

Figure 11.0.1: Wikimedia Commons

License

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

ACC Physical Geology by Mark Leatherman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book