What determines the impact of an earthquake?

Population density (rural or urban area). The more densely populated an area, the more likely there are to be deaths and casualties. Time of day influences whether people are in their homes, at work or travelling. A severe earthquake at rush hour in a densely populated urban area could have devastating effects.

What are the 4 contributing to the damaging effects of an earthquake?

The primary effects of earthquakes are ground shaking, ground rupture, landslides, tsunamis, and liquefaction. Fires are probably the single most important secondary effect of earthquakes.

What are five factors that lead to damage from an earthquake?

The damage caused by earthquakes is from ground shaking, ground rupture, landslides, tsunamis, and liquefaction. Earthquake damage from fires is the most important secondary effect.

What are 3 things that cause earthquakes?

Things that cause earthquakes

• Groundwater extraction – decrease in pore pressure.
• Groundwater – increase in pore pressure.
• Heavy rain.
• Pore fluid flow.
• High CO2 pressure.
• Building dams.
• Earthquakes.
• No earthquakes (Seismic quiescence)

What are some of the effects of an earthquake?

What are the Effects of Earthquakes? What are the Effects of Earthquakes? The effects from earthquakes include ground shaking, surface faulting, ground failure, and less commonly, tsunamis. Ground shaking is a term used to describe the vibration of the ground during an earthquake.

How do we know when an earthquake is happening?

We know they occur because of seismographs, sensitive devices that detect tremors in the ground, and the application of the Richter scale, which rates earthquakes on a scale of 1 to 10.

How does liquefaction affect the ground during an earthquake?

Liquefaction and subsidence of the ground are important effects which often are the cause of much destruction in earthquakes, particularly in unconsolidated ground. Liquefaction is when sediment grains are literally made to float in groundwater, which causes the soil to lose all its solidity.

How does population density affect the impact of an earthquake?

By the time a deep earthquake has reached us, its energy has often dissipated through the ground, leaving little left to do damage. Another big deal is population density. If the earthquake hits in an area where people are spread out, the impact will be much smaller, since fewer people will be affected.