earthquakes

Definition of earthquakes in English English dictionary: Sudden slippage or movements of the earths crust along fault lines; Earthquake Glossary Exploring Earthquakes: On-Line Glossary Earthquake ABC (for kids and parents); Sudden, violent movement of the earth's crust; shaking or trembling of the earth that is volcanic or tectonic in origin; plural of earthquake; the shifts and resulting vibrations in the crust caused when two plates move in relation to each other
earthquake: {n} a tremor or shaking of the earth
earthquake: A shaking of the Earth, caused by volcanic activity or movement around geologic faults
earthquake: A natural disaster
earthquake: 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
earthquake: 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
earthquake: violent tremor of the earth's crust which originates naturally and below the surface
earthquake: a disturbance that is extremely disruptive; "selling the company caused an earthquake among the employees"
earthquake: Like, or characteristic of, an earthquake; loud; startling
earthquake: 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
earthquake: {i} trembling of the earth (usually produced by volcanic action or other forces under the earth's crust)
earthquake: 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
earthquake: 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
earthquake: The wave of shock sometimes traverses half a hemisphere, destroying cities and many thousand lives; called also earthdin, earthquave, and earthshock
earthquake: 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
earthquake: 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
earthquake: A shaking, trembling, or concussion of the earth, due to subterranean causes, often accompanied by a rumbling noise
earthquake: shaking and vibration at the surface of the earth resulting from underground movement along a fault plane of from volcanic activity
earthquake: 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)
earthquake: A movement within the Earth's crust or mantle, caused by the sudden rupture or repositioning of underground rocks as they release stress
earthquake: 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
earthquake: A shaking of the ground caused by a sudden release of energy that is stored in the rocks beneath the surface of the earth
earthquake: 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
earthquake: a sudden movement of the earth's crust caused by the release of stress accumulated along geologic faults or by volcanic activity - BACK>>
earthquake: 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
earthquake: 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
earthquake: Sudden motion in Earth caused by abrupt release of slowly accumulated strain
earthquake: Rare phenomenon involving movements of the earth's crust that may be violent enough to cause damage to property or dwellings
earthquake: 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
earthquake: 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
earthquake: 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
earthquake: a shaking or trembling of the ground that is volcanic or tectonic in origin
earthquake: 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
earthquake: Movement of the rocks caused by release of stresses built up within the crust
earthquake: Shaking of the earth caused by a sudden movement of rock beneath its surface
earthquake: A sudden motion or trembling in the Earth caused by the abrupt release of slowly accumulated strain (by faulting or by volcanic activity)