Earthquakes are not associated with the weather but instead are natural disasters. An earthquake is a tremor below the surface of the Earth which causes shaking of the Earth’s crust. Constructive Effects of Earthquakes are
Constructive Effects of Earthquakes
- Earthquakes help the Earth in releasing its energy.
- As a result of earthquakes, many landforms are built. It also results in changing the coastline. Earthquakes in the Himalayan region have resulted in the formation of various lakes. Further, the formation of bays, estuaries and gulfs because of earthquakes has resulted in better navigation.
A seismograph is an instrument that measures and records the details of an earthquake such as its duration, force, and direction. The seismograph has a pen attached to it. When an earthquake occurs, the pen also vibrates along with the vibrations produced by the earthquake. The pen records the movements of vibrations on a moving strip of paper. Various waves which are formed by the moving pen give us an estimate of the direction and force of an earthquake. It also calculates the difference in the arrival of P and S waves.
The intensity of an earthquake is measured on the Richter scale and the Mercalli scale. The Richter scale is commonly used for measuring an earthquake. While the Richter scale measures the intensity of the earthquake on a scale from 1 to 9, the Mercalli scale measures it on a 12 point scale. Earthquakes measured above the Richter scale of 6 onwards cause damage to life and property.
Also, Read
Volcanoes
A volcano is a vent or an opening in the Earth’s crust from which hot magma erupts the interior of the Earth. Volcanoes are generally caused because of the following reasons. Read more
Landforms of the Earth
The surface of the earth is not the same everywhere. The earth has an infinite variety of landforms. Some parts of the lithosphere may be rugged and some flat. Read more