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breakable objects in cabnents with latched doors. Don't hang heavy mirrors or
pictures above where people frequently sit or sleep.
• Anchor heavy appliances and furniture such as water heaters, refrigerators
and bookcases.
• Store flamable liquids away from potential ignition sources such as water
heaters, stoves and furnaces.
• Get Educated. Learn what to do during an earthquake (see below). Then you
will be ready for the fast action needed. Make sure that all members of your
family have this important education.
• Learn where the main turn-offs are for your water, gas and electricity. Know
how to turn them off and the location of any needed tools.
Types of Earthquakes
There are many different types of earthquakes: tectonic, volcanic, and
explosion. The type of earthquake depends on the region where it occurs and the
geological make-up of that region. The most common are tectonic earthquakes.
These occur when rocks in the earth's crust break due to geological forces
created by movement of tectonic plates. Another type, volcanic earthquakes , occur in
conjunction with volcanic activity. Collapse earthquakes are small earthquakes in
underground caverns and mines, and explosion earthquakes result from the explosion
of nuclear and chemical devices. We can measure motion from large tectonic
earthquakes using GPS because rocks on either side of a fault are offset during this
type of earthquake
Encyclopedia—Earthquake
Damage Caused by Earthquakes
The effects of an earthquake are strongest in a broad zone surrounding the
epicenter. Surface ground cracking associated with faults that reach the surface often
occurs, with horizontal and vertical displacements of several yards common.
Such movement does not have to occur during a major earthquake; slight
periodic movements called fault creep can be accompanied by microearthquakes too
small to be felt. The extent of earthquake vibration and subsequent damage to a region
is partly dependent on characteristics of the ground. For example, earthquake
vibrations last longer and are of greater wave amplitudes in unconsolidated surface
material, such as poorly compacted fill or river deposits; bedrock areas receive fewer
effects. The worst damage occurs in densely populated urban areas where structures
are not built to withstand intense shaking. There, L waves can produce destructive
vibrations in buildings and break water and gas lines, starting uncontrollable fires.
Damage and loss of life sustained during an earthquake result from falling structures
and flying glass and objects. Flexible structures built on bedrock are generally more
resistant to earthquake damage than rigid structures built on loose soil. In certain
areas, an earthquake can trigger mudslides, which slip down mountain slopes and can
bury habitations below. A submarine earthquake can cause a tsunami, a series of
damaging waves that ripple outward from the earthquake epicenter and inundate
coastal cities.