Introduction
Earthquakes shake the ground surface, can cause buildings to collapse, disrupt transport and services, and can cause fires. They can trigger landslides and tsunami – in short, earthquakes can be very destructive. In this unit you will look at why, where and what happens when they occur and also at how earthquakes are assessed qualitatively and quantitatively.
Learning Outcomes
After studying this unit you should be able to:
- Explain the reasons for earthquakes
- Understand where in the world earthquakes are most likely to occur
- Describe the potential consequences of an earthquake
- Differentiate between earthquake intensity and earthquake magnitude
- Appreciate the enormous energies released by earthquakes