During the years of 1811-1812 three earthquakes occurred near the small town of New Madrid, Missouri. Based on the on the Richter scale the magnitudes of each or these earthquakes measured at a 7.0 or higher. These earthquakes were felt as far away as Boston, Hartford, and New Orleans. The damage caused by these earthquakes went as far as Cincinnati, Ohio and St.Louis Missouri. These earthquakes are known as the New Madrid Earthquakes.
The New Madrid earthquakes have caused many different things to happen to the land in the area surrounding New Madrid. They caused islands to disappear, lakes to be created, waterfalls to temporary form, sand boils to appear, and they also most notably, the Mississippi River to flow upstream.
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Many buildings and homes were also destroyed because of the earthquakes. This forced people to have to leave their homes and live in tents, which thankfully saved most people from dying when the earthquakes continued to happen. The aftermath of the earthquakes Only one-thousand people were killed because of the earthquakes.
The death toll was low due to the lack of tall buildings and the low population. Also, another reason why the death toll was low, was due the lack of Native American population at the time, which means that there may have been a much larger death toll. The earthquakes caused landslides that destroyed many different towns.
What causes an earthquake to happen? An earthquake is caused when the there is a sudden slip on a fault line. Sometimes a tectonic plate get stuck on another tectonic plate. Stress slowly builds up between these plates until they finally move past each other. This sudden movement releases all the energy that built up through the earth’s crust- an earthquake. In Missouri, it just so happens that there is the New Madrid Seismic Zone ,which is also known as the New Madrid fault line.
There has been many technological advancements in measuring and monitoring earthquakes since 1811-1812.The seismometer, an instrument that can monitor the changes in position of the ground, was greatly improved on with the help of technology.(((CITE HERE))) Scientist can now know that an earthquake will happen on a fault in the future, but they can not tell when an earthquake or how strong that said earthquake will be. So what do we do to prepare ourselves for an
earthquake? Before an earthquake happens you should make sure that any items that could fall and cause harm to a someone are secured to the wall and/or floor of your home. You should practice drop,cover, and hold on, which are the steps to take if an earthquake happens. First, drop to the ground and cover your head/neck with your arms. Then you try to find a safe place that you can crawl and hold on to for cover. If you do these things you might have a better chance at surviving an earthquake. The New Madrid Earthquakes was a horrible event, but we can use what happened to New Madrid to further our research on earthquakes. We can also be more prepared and know what to expect if an earthquake happens around the New Madrid Fault Line again that is as high on the Richter scale as this one. Overall, earthquakes are very dangerous but with the right steps taken we can learn to live with them.
In 1910 a series of fifty-two earthquakes struck Arizona between September 10th-23rd and it caused much of the Flagstaff residents to flee the area as even strong households cracked and chimneys crumbled. The fifty-two earthquakes were all light-shock earthquakes with magnitudes between 4.0-4.2 that came right after another. If only one earthquake occurred in that timespan then it is likely that only objects would be knocked from shelves but no damage would be done to infrastructure, but the earthquakes happened right after another causing significant slight
Earthquakes are best described as a shaking or vibration of the ground caused by breaking of rock. Sometimes they are very strong and other times you would hardly notice them. This shaking occurs when stress that builds up in the crust is suddenly released as the crust breaks free and/or slides against the other pieces of crust. Earthquakes may also be thought of as the breaking of a popsicle stick by applying pressure to both ends at the same time. Should you try this experiment , you will feel the pressure build up as you apply more force until the stick snaps. When the stick snaps you will feel an instant of pain at your fingers as the stress reduces and energy waves move throughout the stick. When the earth's crust is placed under similar types of stress, binding as the stress builds, it will also snap and release the energy into the surrounding rocks, 'ooch'. Thinking about earthquakes will become more clear if you try another experiment.
Earthquakes, by Webster’s dictionary definition, are, “a shaking or trembling of the earth that is volcanic or tectonic in origin.” World Book Encyclopedia reports scientists believe that more than 8,000 earthquakes occur each day without causing damage. A little more than 1,000 each year are strong enough to be felt. Earthquakes occur in the general sense, anywhere on land. Other earthquakes go by different names, such as volcanic eruptions and tsunamis, large tidal wave storms that occur underwater, primarily in the Pacific Ocean.
When the quake, registering 6.1 on the Richter scale, first struck, it was thought to be centered along the Old Whittier Fault. However, after extensive study, it was determined that it was actually the result of a "new" fault, or a fault that had not previously been discovered by scientists.
The 1906 San Francisco earthquake was one of the largest earthquakes in the United States. Even though it only lasted less than a minute, the damages and aftermath of the earthquake were disastrous. These damages were not just from the earthquake, but also from other hazards that occurred because of it. It also had a huge effect on the people living in San Francisco. Many people, the government, and other countries helped the city of San Francisco with relief goods like food and clothing. The city used up their resources in order to rebuild the city and spent a lot of money. This earthquake also started a scientific revolution about earthquakes and its effects.
On December 16, 1811, at roughly 2:15 a.m., the most powerful earthquake ever to hit the eastern United States struck Northeast Arkansas. Clocking in at a presumed 8.0 on the richter scale, the first of three major earthquakes form the New Madrid fault made itself known. This quake, and the two subsequent quakes following shortly after, caused some of the most intense damage and events ever recorded in U.S. history. The quakes were felt in Montreal, Boston, and even the White House. Events such as soil liquefaction and reversal in the flow of the Mississippi river are just a few of many glimpses into the absolute power of earthquakes. In this exploratory paper, I will review the three main quakes, along with their aftermath both
An earthquake is a rapid and sudden tremors of the earth crust as a result of energy stored and released from the rocks (Phyllis 12). The great Lisbon Earthquake in November 1st 1755 would be one such natural phenomenon that marks a great earthquake history (Luiz, Carlos and Joab 07). This paper is therefore a report about the great Lisbon Earthquake and the events associated with its occurrence.
...er caused the city to crumble and the government to pay extreme amounts of money. In addition, residents of San Francisco and other surrounding areas suffered as a result. Thousands died, but even more faced the encumbrance of homelessness. As if that could not worsen, fires went on afterward for as long as three days. Nevertheless, San Francisco transformed like a phoenix; its ashes turned into a beautiful city full of fascinating buildings in a matter of months. 1906, a year of a significant natural disaster, also became a year that spawned knowledge in the field of seismology. No one will ever forget the appalling chain of events that took place during the early twentieth century. The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 has not only taught seismologists almost everything they now know, but it has also made San Francisco the jewel of the West Coast that it is today.
benchmark for the future, and integrated investigation into the effects of earthquakes in the U.S.
On October 22, 2012, a tropical depression began to form in the Caribbean Sea due to steadily increasing wind speeds and low pressure. Hurricane Sandy quickly developed making landfall as a category 1 hurricane. From its formation in the Caribbean Sea on October 22, 2012 to its dissipation on October 31, 2012 hurricane Sandy lasted a total of 9 days ravaging the east coast of the United States and parts of the Caribbean. Hurricane Sandy was an extremely large and complex cyclone; analyzing its highly affected areas, unique characteristics, and damage reports help us to understand the lasting impact natural disasters leave in their wake.
The Great Kanto Earthquake also known as the Tokyo-Yokohama Earthquake of 1923 hit the metropolitan area of Kanto on September 1st, 1923 around 11:58 pm. It was a 7.9 on the Richter magnitude scale, killing over one-hundred and forty thousand people due to its high magnitude and the time it happened. The earthquake struck around lunch time, when many Japanese people were at home cooking at their charcoal or gas fueled stoves. At the moment the earthquake hit, it knocked down buildings that caught flames from the stoves that fell over, enflaming the city. The fire was swept up and able to spread due to the gusts of wind that occurred for two days afterwards, resulting in firestorms. Charles Blauvelt experienced the ordeal of the fire describing the flames as “[covering] the whole city [as they] burned all day and night.” In addition to the firestorms and the earthquake itself, there was a shock because of all the fallen debris which triggered tsunamis to fill and flood Japanese cities. These tsunamis, that were about thirty feet tall, destroyed central Tokyo and immensely added to the death toll.
People did many things to prepare for Hurricane Sandy. Many people who lived on or near the coastline were given evacuation orders by government officials. These areas were likely to experience severe flooding. The people who lived in low elevations along the coast were particularly in danger. These people left their homes in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut; some were fortunate enough to find a hotel to stay in or relatives to stay with. Others who weren’t as fortunate waited in community shelters. Organizations such as the American Red Cross opened shelters specifically for people who had to leave their homes because of Hurricane Sandy.
One possible reason for this is that the Nazca plate and the North American plate are on a destructive plate boundary. As this suggests the plates collide and land is lost as one plate is forced under the other to melt into the mantle again. This is the logical reason for the earthquake. It is not a completely random event that the earthquake struck at that time. Tension builds up and it has to be released.
In the early morning hours on January 17th, 1994 a very violent tremble took place across Los Angeles, California area that left fifty-seven people dead, more than 7,000 injured, more than 20,000 homeless and left over 40,000 buildings damaged. Around 4:30 a.m. a horrific 6.7 magnitude earthquake, that tested building codes and earthquake-resistant construction, shook Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Ventura, and Orange Counties with the most intense damage occurring in Sherman Oaks and Northridge. The earthquake caused several bridges and overpasses to collapse closing sections of the Santa Monica Freeway, Simi Valley Freeway, Golden State Freeway, and the Antelope Valley Freeway. There were also several fire outbreaks throughout the San Fernando Valley, Malibu, and Venice area because of underground gas lines that had been ruptured during the earthquake that caused additional damage.
Earthquakes belong to the class of most disastrous natural hazards. They result in unexpected and tremendous earth movements. These movements results from dissemination of an enormous amount of intense energy in form of seismic waves which are detected by use of seismograms. The impact of earthquakes leaves behind several landmarks including: destruction of property, extensive disruption of services like sewer and water lines, loss of life, and causes instability in both economic and social components of the affected nation (Webcache 2).