Do Smaller Earthquakes Relieve Pressure on Fault Lines and Delay Big Earthquakes?
An earthquake is simply any sudden release of energy within the Earth’s crust that creates a series of seismic waves and helps to relieve pressure on fault lines. However, all earthquakes are not created equal. The movement magnitude of an earthquake is often reported using the Richter scale, a measuring device that assigns numerical values to each earthquake. A magnitude 3 or lower earthquake is largely imperceptible to the general public, while any earthquake above a magnitude 7 is expected to cause serious damage over large areas. Small earthquakes occur constantly around the world. In the United States, for example, people who live in California can expect to encounter several minor earthquakes per year. Portugal, Greece, Italy, New Zealand, Chile, and Peru also have many areas where minor seismic activity occurs on a regular basis. Although many people believe that smaller earthquakes serve to delay larger earthquakes by working to relieve pressure on fault lines, this assumption
An earthquake is simply any sudden release of energy within the Earth’s crust that creates a series of seismic waves and helps to relieve pressure on fault lines. However, all earthquakes are not created equal. The movement magnitude of an earthquake is often reported using the Richter scale, a measuring device that assigns numerical values to each earthquake. A magnitude 3 or lower earthquake is largely imperceptible to the general public, while any earthquake above a magnitude 7 is expected to cause serious damage over large areas. Small earthquakes occur constantly around the world. In the United States, for example, people who live in California can expect to encounter several minor earthquakes per year. Portugal, Greece, Italy, New Zealand, Chile, and Peru also have many areas where minor seismic activity occurs on a regular basis. Although many people believe that smaller earthquakes serve to delay larger earthquakes by working to relieve pressure on fault lines, this assumptio
Related Questions
- Why do people always talk about the Hayward Fault specifically as a hazard instead of other Bay Area faults like the San Andreas Fault?
- What is the relationship between faults and earthquakes? What happens to a fault when an earthquake occurs?
- Do Smaller Earthquakes Relieve Pressure on Fault Lines and Delay Big Earthquakes?
