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An earthquake is the shaking of the surface of Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes may also be referred to as quakes, tremors, or temblors. The word tremor is also used for non-earthquake seismic rumbling.
Earthquakes (6.0+ Mw) between 1900 and 2017. Earthquakes are caused by movements within the Earth's crust and uppermost mantle. They range from weak events detectable only by seismometers, to sudden and violent events lasting many minutes which have caused some of the greatest disasters in human history.
Earthquakes occur when tectonic plates suddenly break free, so they start moving quickly. The first point of an earthquake's rupture is called its hypocenter or focus. The epicenter is the point at ground level directly above the hypocenter. People who study earthquakes are called seismologists.
On June 11, 1585, a moderate tsunami struck the Sanriku coast of Japan. At the same time, a number of Hawaiian natives died after their settlements was struck by a tsunami-like event described in oral traditions.
Deep-focus earthquake, also called a plutonic earthquake, an earthquake with a depth exceeding 70 kilometres (43 mi). [5] Doublet earthquake, an earthquake that consists of at least two or more mainshocks of nearly identical magnitude, separated by a period of time. [6]
2 days ago · Earthquake, any sudden shaking of the ground caused by the passage of seismic waves through Earth’s rocks. Earthquakes occur most often along geologic faults, narrow zones where rock masses move in relation to one another.
Oct 19, 2023 · Hundreds of earthquakes occur on Earth everyday. Most of them are small, barely detectable by most people. But occasionally there is a much more significant quake. On average, a major earthquake —one with a magnitude of 7.0-7.9—strikes somewhere on the planet more than once a month.
