Research assignment

1. What causes an earthquake?

-Earthquakes are caused by the movement of tectonic plates. The Earth's surface is made up of a
number of tectonic plates, which are pieces of the Earth's crust and upper mantle that move around on
the surface. These plates are constantly in motion, but they are usually separated from one another by a
boundary called a fault. When the stress on the plates becomes too great, they can slip past one another
along the fault. This sudden movement causes the ground to shake, creating an earthquake. The point
where the plates first slip is called the "focus" of the earthquake, and the point on the surface directly
above the focus is called the "epicenter". The energy released during an earthquake can take the form
of seismic waves, which travel through the Earth and cause the ground to shake. The magnitude of an
earthquake is determined by the amount of energy released, and is commonly measured using the
Richter scale. There is different type of earthquakes with different causes as well. such as volcanic
earthquakes, Collapse earthquakes, explosion earthquakes and more.

2. What is the relationship between the focus and the epicenter of an earthquake?

- The focus, also known as the hypocenter, is the point within the Earth where an earthquake originates.
It is the location where the fault first begins to slip and where the greatest amount of energy is released.
The focus is typically located several kilometers below the surface of the Earth, although it can be as
deep as 700 kilometers in some cases. The epicenter, on the other hand, is the point on the surface of
the Earth directly above the focus. It is the location where the shaking and ground displacement caused
by the earthquake are most intense. The distance between the focus and the epicenter can vary
depending on the location of the earthquake and the characteristics of the fault. The waves that are
created by the energy release of an earthquake travel through the earth and reach the surface, that's
why the shaking can be observed and measured at the epicenter but they can also travel through the
earth and be felt at distant places. The focus is the place where the energy of the earthquake is released
and the seismic waves are generated. Epicenter is the place on the surface of the earth where the
seismic waves first reach, the place where the ground shaking is the strongest.

3. How do earthquake magnitude and earthquake intensity differ? Why are there two systems for
evaluating earthquakes?

- Earthquake magnitude and intensity are two different measures that are used to describe earthquakes.
Earthquake magnitude is a measure of the amount of energy that is released by an earthquake. It is
commonly measured using the Richter scale, which assigns a single number to an earthquake based on
the amplitude of the seismic waves it generates. The magnitude of an earthquake is a measure of the
energy released at the source, and is independent of the distance from the epicenter. A magnitude 5.0
earthquake is 10 times larger than a magnitude 4.0 earthquake and releases about 31.6 times more
energy. Earthquake intensity, on the other hand, is a measure of the amount of shaking and ground
displacement that is experienced at a particular location as a result of an earthquake. It is commonly
measured using the Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) scale, which assigns a number from I to XII to an
earthquake based on the observed effects. The intensity of an earthquake is determined by the
amplitude and frequency of the seismic waves as they pass through the Earth's crust, which depends on
the distance from the epicenter, geology and structure of the area. There are two systems for evaluating
earthquakes because the magnitude and intensity of an earthquake can provide different and important
information. Magnitude is useful for determining the total energy released by an earthquake and for
making comparisons between different earthquakes. This is useful for Scientists and Engineers for
understanding how earthquakes happen and how to forecast them. Intensity, on the other hand, gives a
sense of how strongly the earthquake was felt and what kind of damage it caused at a specific location.
So, having both magnitude and intensity helps to have a complete and detailed understanding of an
earthquake.

4. How does a reverse fault differ from a normal fault?

- A reverse fault and a normal fault are both types of dip-slip faults, which are faults where the
movement is primarily in the vertical direction. The main difference between them is the direction of
movement of the hanging wall block relative to the footwall block. In a normal fault, the hanging wall
block (the part of the rock layer above the fault plane) moves downward relative to the footwall block
(the part of the rock layer below the fault plane). This is caused by tensional forces that are pulling the
Earth's crust apart. Normal faults are commonly found in areas that are undergoing extension, such as in
rift zones and along mid-ocean ridges. In a reverse fault, the hanging wall block moves upward relative
to the footwall block. This is caused by compressional forces that are pushing the Earth's crust together.
Reverse faults are commonly found in areas that are undergoing compression, such as along plate
boundaries and in mountain ranges. In a reverse fault, the angle of the fault plane is typically steeper
than in a normal fault. Also, the relative displacement between the hanging wall and the footwall is
greater in reverse faults than in normal faults, and it's commonly can be observed in the form of a
thrust-fault as well. Reverse faults can cause stronger earthquakes as well as more severe surface
deformation than normal faults. Both types of faults can be found at different tectonic settings, but
reverse faults are more common in mountain building regions and are responsible for the formation of
many large mountain ranges.

5. How is tectonic nature of earthquake differ from volcanic earthquake?

- Tectonic earthquakes and volcanic earthquakes are two different types of earthquakes that are caused
by different processes. Tectonic earthquakes are caused by the movement of tectonic plates. As I
explained earlier, the Earth's surface is made up of a number of tectonic plates, which are pieces of the
Earth's crust and upper mantle that move around on the surface. These plates are separated by faults,
and when the stress on the plates becomes too great, they can slip past one another along the fault,
releasing energy in the form of seismic waves and causing an earthquake. Tectonic earthquakes are the
most common type of earthquake and are found at plate boundaries and in areas of active tectonics.
Volcanic earthquakes, on the other hand, are caused by activity within volcanoes. These earthquakes
occur as a result of movement of magma, volcanic fluids, and gases within the volcano, or from the
expansion and contraction of rock caused by the heating and cooling of volcanic material. These
earthquakes tend to be smaller than tectonic earthquakes and are typically limited to the area around
the volcano. They can occur both before, during and after an eruption, and can be precursors of an
eruption event. Another difference between tectonic and volcanic earthquakes is that the former can
occur anywhere on the earth, but the latter only happens in places where volcanic activity occurs. For
example, along mid-ocean ridges, subduction zones, or in areas with active hot spot volcanic activity.
Additionally, the seismic waves generated by volcanic earthquakes tend to have a different character
and different frequency than those generated by tectonic earthquakes. This allows seismologists to
differentiate between the two types of earthquakes, even when the epicenter is not known.

B.

Research 1 earthquake activity from any country and explain the origin of this earthquake and give
the effects to the community.

- One example of an earthquake that had a significant impact on a specific country is the 2010 Haiti
earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 7.0 and struck on January 12th, 2010, at 4:53 PM local
time. The earthquake's origin was a result of the boundary between the Caribbean plate and the North
American plate. The Caribbean plate is moving eastward and sliding underneath the North American
plate in a process known as subduction. This movement caused a thrust fault to develop, known as the
Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault zone. The earthquake occurred along this fault zone, which is located
just to the west of the island of Hispaniola, which is shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The
effects of the earthquake were devastating for the country of Haiti. The epicenter of the earthquake was
located near the capital city of Port-au-Prince, which had a population of over 2 million people. The
shaking caused widespread damage to buildings, infrastructure and public services, leaving an estimated
230,000 people dead and another 300,000 injured. More than 1.5 million people were displaced, and
many were left homeless. There were also several aftershocks, including one of magnitude 5.9, which
added to the destruction. Additionally, the earthquake had a significant impact on the country's
economy and social well-being, with estimates putting the cost of the damage and reconstruction at
over $8 billion. The earthquake also disrupted essential services such as health care, education, and
communication, exacerbating the plight of the Haitian people who were already living in poverty. The
devastation of the earthquake was compounded by the fact that Haiti has a weak infrastructure and
limited resources, making the response to the disaster and the rebuilding efforts more challenging. The
earthquake was one of the most destructive natural disasters in modern history and was a major
humanitarian crisis that required a global response to provide aid and support to the affected
population. Even after more than a decade, the country is still recovering and rebuilding from the
earthquake, with the help of the international community and the government.