Earthquake
Earthquakes can be one of the devastating natural disasters, shaking the ground and causing damage to buildings and infrastructure. While they are often unpredictable, there are a few facts that can help us understand earthquake better.
Where it usually happens?
Earthquakes usually happen on the edge of tectonic plates. Tectonic plates are the outer layer of the Earth and they are made of rock and are constantly moving.
Earthquake can affect the lengh of a day
On 11 March, 2011, an 8.9 magnitude earthquake which struck northeast Japan altered the distribution of the earths mass, causing it to rotate slightly faster, and shortening an earth day by around 1.8 microseconds.
Millions of earthquake annually
According to the United States Geological Survey, there are around 17 major earthquakes measuring above 7.0 on the Richter scale-and one great measuring above 8.0-each year.
Standing water smells before an earthquake
Ponds, canals, lakes and other standing water may give you off a nasty whiff and become slightly warmer before an earthquake.This is due to gases being released underground as the plates shift.
Pacific Ocean is the root of most earthquakes
The vast majority, in fact about 90% of the worlds earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire, which is an area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean.
A Chilean city moved ten feet to the west
During a massive earthquake on February 27, 2010 measuring 8.8 on the Richter scale, the earths crust was ripped so dramatically that the city of Concepcion actually moved 10 feet to the west.
An earthquake caused Everest to shrink
On April 25, 2015, earthquake of a magitude 7.8 inflicted severe damage to the nation of Nepal, causing several Himalayan mountains to shrink, including Mount Everest which shrunk by one inch.
Animals change their behaviour
It is not just toads which have been observed reacting to seismic activity, before the Indonesian earthquake and tsunami in 2004, witnesses reported seeing animals and birds heading for the higher ground. Scientists think that animals may sense weak tremors before a quake.