HOW TO FACE ON EARTHQUAKE

TAKE CARE OF YOU OWN! NO BODY WILL DO IT !

WHAT IS AN EARTHQUAKE?
An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time. An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves.

The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time. At the Earth's surface, earthquakes manifest themselves by shaking and sometimes displacement of the ground. When the epicenter of a large earthquake is located offshore, the seabed may be displaced sufficiently to cause a tsunami. Earthquakes can also trigger landslides, and occasionally volcanic activity.

INTRODUCTION
Earthquake, trembling or shaking movement of the earth's surface. Most earthquakes are minor tremors. Larger earthquakes usually begin with slight tremors but rapidly take the form of one or more violent shocks, and end in vibrations of gradually diminishing force called aftershocks. The subterranean point of origin of an earthquake is called its focus; the point on the surface directly above the focus is the epicenter. The magnitude and intensity of an earthquake is determined by the use of scales, e.g., the moment magnitude scale, Richter scale, and the modified Mercalli scale.

MEASURES AGAINST EARTHQUAKES

PERSONAL MEASURES Seek shelter under stable tables or under door frames. If outside, stay away from buildings, bridges and electricity pylons and move to open areas. Avoid areas at risk from secondary processes, such as landslides, rockfall and soil liquefaction. After an earthquake, check gas, water and electricity pipes and lines for damage. Listen to the radio and follow the instructions issued by the authorities. TECHNICAL/BIOLOGICAL MEASURES No measures can be taken to prevent earthquakes themselves, however limited measures exist that can counteract their secondary effects like landslides, rockfall and soil liquefaction. Earthquake-proof planning and design of buildings The microzoning of the local geological substratum provides indicators of areas in which tremors will have a particularly strong or attenuated effect.

MEASURES AGAINST EARTHQUAKES

ORGANIZATIONAL MEASURES At present, earthquake prediction is insufficiently precise to provide the public with sufficient advance warning. For this reason, adequate preparedness and assistance in catastrophes is extremely important in areas affected by earthquakes. Measures of this nature enable numbers of human lives to be saved.

CAUSES OF EARTHQUAKES
Earthquakes are caused mostly by rupture of geological faults, but also by other events such as volcanic activity, landslides, mine blasts, and nuclear tests. Most earthquakes are causally related to compressional or tensional stresses built up at the margins of the huge moving lithospheric plates that make up the earth's surface. The immediate cause of most shallow earthquakes is the sudden release of stress along a fault, or fracture in the earth's crust, resulting in movement of the opposing blocks of rock past one another. These movements cause vibrations to pass through and around the earth in wave form, just as ripples are generated when a pebble is dropped into water. Volcanic eruptions, rockfalls, landslides, and explosions can also cause a quake, but most of these are of only local extent.

EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE
Earthquake damage depends on what area is hit. If an unpopulated region is struck, there will be low loss of life or property. If it hits a large city, there may be many injuries and destruction. Many of the areas at risk on the Ring of Fire are largely populated. Major earthquakes hitting those areas today could produce terrible damage. Most global cities have at least tripled their populations in the last hundred years, so a major earthquake could collapse skyscrapers, factories, and power plants. Millions of people could feel the shock waves, not only of the initial tremor, but of the aftershocks, tsunamis, landslides, floods, and social effects.

Earthquakes have the power to uproot trees and send them crashing into buildings. They can trigger landslides and avalanches, and cause flooding and tsunamis. Human structures are also at risk. It is interesting to note that tall buildings will sustain the least damage if they are located directly at the epicenter. This is because they can withstand the up-and-down motion of P-waves. S-waves, on the other hand, occur far away from the epicenter, and cause the greatest stress by shaking buildings from side to side. These buildings are often knocked off their foundations.