earthquake

Definition of earthquake in English English dictionary: A natural disaster; A shaking of the Earth, caused by volcanic activity or movement around geologic faults; {n} a tremor or shaking of the earth; An earthquake is a shaking of the ground caused by movement of the earth's crust. a sudden shaking of the earth's surface that often causes a lot of damage. Sudden disturbance within the Earth manifested at the surface by a shaking of the ground caused by seismic waves. The origin and distribution of most major earthquakes can be explained in terms of faults and the plate tectonics theory. Earthquake magnitude (a quantitative measure of amplitude and energy released) is usually expressed in terms of the Richter scale. Earthquake intensity is rated on the Mercalli scale, based on a qualitative measure (e.g., "barely felt" or "catastrophic destruction") of damage to terrain and structures at any given location. In general, a quake's intensity decreases with distance from its epicentre, but other factors, including surface geology, may significantly influence its effects. See also seismology; A naturally occurring shaking motion of the Earth's surface Earthquakes are caused when stress, building up within rocks of the Earth's crust, is released in a sudden jolt; violent tremor of the earth's crust which originates naturally and below the surface; a disturbance that is extremely disruptive; "selling the company caused an earthquake among the employees"; Like, or characteristic of, an earthquake; loud; startling; Sudden motion in Earth caused by abrupt release of slowly accumulated strain Shaking of the Earth caused by a sudden movement of rock beneath its surface; {i} trembling of the earth (usually produced by volcanic action or other forces under the earth's crust); shaking and vibration at the surface of the earth resulting from underground movement along a fault plane of from volcanic activity a disturbance that is extremely disruptive; "selling the company caused an earthquake among the employees; A series of elastic waves propagated in Earth, initiated where stress along a fault exceeds the elastic limit of the rock so that sudden movement occurs along the fault; The wave of shock sometimes traverses half a hemisphere, destroying cities and many thousand lives; called also earthdin, earthquave, and earthshock; Ground shaking and radiated seismic energy caused most commonly by sudden slip on a fault, volcanic or magmatic activity, or other sudden stress changes in the Earth An earthquake of magnitude 8 or larger is termed a great earthquake Earthquake hazard Any physical phenomenon associated with an earthquake that may produce adverse effects on human activities This includes surface faulting, ground shaking, landslides, liquefaction, tectonic deformation, tsunami, and seiche and their effects on land use, manmade structures, and socioeconomic systems A commonly used restricted definition of earthquake hazard is the probability of occurrence of a specified level of ground shaking in a specified period of time Earthquake risk The expected (or probable) life loss, injury, or building damage that will happen, given the probability that some earthquake hazard occurs Earthquake risk and earthquake hazard are occasionally used interchangeably; A shaking of the earth caused by a sudden movement of rock beneath the Earth's surface An earthquake occurs on a fault, which is a thin layer of crushed rock between two blocks of rock A fault can range in length from a few centimeters to thousands of miles The San Andreas fault in California is 650 miles long and ten miles deep in places Stresses in the earth's outer layer push the sides of the fault together Stress builds up and the rocks slip suddenly, releasing energy in waves that travel through the rock to cause the shaking that we feel during an earthquake The National Earthquake Information Center locates about 12,000 to 14,000 earthquakes annually That's about 35 a day Based on long term historical records, about 18 major earthquakes (7 0 - 7 9 on the Richter scale) and one great earthquake (8 0 or above) are expected in any given year FEMA Earthquakes Backgrounder Earthquake Engineering Research Institute; A shaking, trembling, or concussion of the earth, due to subterranean causes, often accompanied by a rumbling noise; shaking and vibration at the surface of the earth resulting from underground movement along a fault plane of from volcanic activity; The sudden motion or trembling of the ground produced by abrupt displacement of rock masses, usually within the upper 10 to 20 miles of the earth's surface (FEMA definition); A movement within the Earth's crust or mantle, caused by the sudden rupture or repositioning of underground rocks as they release stress; a shaking or trembling of the crust of the earth, caused by underground volcanic forces or by breaking and shifting of rock beneath the surface; A shaking of the ground caused by a sudden release of energy that is stored in the rocks beneath the surface of the earth; A series of elastic waves in the crust of the Earth caused by abrupt movement easing strains built up along geologic faults or by volcanic action and resulting in movement of the Earth's surface; a sudden movement of the earth's crust caused by the release of stress accumulated along geologic faults or by volcanic activity - BACK>>; A sudden, transient motion or trembling of the earth's crust, resulting from the waves in the earth caused by faulting of the rocks or by volcanic activity; The shaking of the ground caused by an abrupt shift of rock along a fault Within seconds, an earthquake releases stress that has slowly accumulated within the rock, sometimes over hundreds of years; Sudden motion in Earth caused by abrupt release of slowly accumulated strain; Rare phenomenon involving movements of the earth's crust that may be violent enough to cause damage to property or dwellings; Is a sudden motion or trembling in the Earth The motion is caused by the quick release of slowly accumulated energy in the form of seismic waves Most earthquakes are produced along faults, tectonic plate boundaries, or along the mid-oceanic ridges; A type of earth movement that occurs when plates or faults within the earth move Homeowners policies specifically define earth movement and earthquake, and the definition may vary from one carrier's policy to another Earth movement is excluded on unendorsed homeowners policies; n a shaking of crustal plates felt on the earth's surface, created by elastic waves moving through the crust, resulting from frictional along active faults; a shaking or trembling of the ground that is volcanic or tectonic in origin; Sudden break within the upper layers of the earth, sometimes breaking the surface, resulting in the vibration of the ground, which where strong enough will cause the collapse of buildings and destruction of life and property; Movement of the rocks caused by release of stresses built up within the crust; Shaking of the earth caused by a sudden movement of rock beneath its surface; A sudden motion or trembling in the Earth caused by the abrupt release of slowly accumulated strain (by faulting or by volcanic activity)
earthquake engineering: The study of the behavior of buildings and structures subject to seismic loading
earthquake-proof: Not harmed by earthquakes
earthquake belt: (Jeoloji) A relatively narrow, distinct belt of earthquakes that defines the position of a plate boundary
earthquake engineer: A civil engineer specializing in earthquake-resistant design and construction and in the study of the effects of seismic activity on fabricated structures.earthquake engineering n
earthquake resistant: designed to withstand the force of earthquakes
earthquake-resistant structure: Building designed to prevent total collapse, preserve life, and minimize damage in case of an earthquake or tremor. Earthquakes exert lateral as well as vertical forces, and a structure's response to their random, often sudden motions is a complex task that is just beginning to be understood. Earthquake-resistant structures absorb and dissipate seismically induced motion through a combination of means: damping decreases the amplitude of oscillations of a vibrating structure, while ductile materials (e.g., steel) can withstand considerable inelastic deformation. If a skyscraper has too flexible a structure, then tremendous swaying in its upper floors can develop during an earthquake. Care must be taken to provide built-in tolerance for some structural damage, resist lateral loading through stiffeners (diagonal sway bracing), and allow areas of the building to move somewhat independently
An earthquake: earthshock
An earthquake: tremor
An earthquake: earthquave
An earthquake: terremote
An earthquake: earthdin
An earthquake: temblor
aftermath of the earthquake: aftereffects of the earthquake, results of the earthquake, outcome of the earthquake
an earthquake: tremblor
earthquakes: Sudden slippage or movements of the earths crust along fault lines
earthquakes: Earthquake Glossary Exploring Earthquakes: On-Line Glossary Earthquake ABC (for kids and parents)
earthquakes: Sudden, violent movement of the earth's crust
earthquakes: shaking or trembling of the earth that is volcanic or tectonic in origin
earthquakes: plural of earthquake
earthquakes: the shifts and resulting vibrations in the crust caused when two plates move in relation to each other