HOW EARTHQUAKES CAUSE DAMAGE THE SEVERE SHAKING CAUSED BY SEISMIC WAVES. DAMAGE IS DONE TO BUILDINGS AND BRIDGES UTILITY POLES GAS AND WATER PIPES

LOCAL SOIL CONDITIONS SEISMIC WAVES SHAKE SOLID ROCK LESS THAN LOOSE ROCK. THE THICKER THE LOOSE SOIL THE MORE VIOLENT THE SHAKING. BUILD YOUR HOUSE ON SOLID ROCK NOT FILLED IN LAND.

LIQUEFACTION WHEN THE VIOLENT SHAKING OF AN EARTHQUAKE CAUSES THE LOOSELY PACKED MOIST SOIL TO TURN INTO MUD. THE BUILDINGS ON IT THEN SINK INTO THE GROUND LIQUEFACTION CAN ALSO TRIGGER LANDSLIDES.

AFTERSHOCKS AN EARTHQUAKE THAT OCCURS AFTER A LARGER EARTHQUAKE IN THE SAME AREA. CAN OCCUR HOURS ,DAYS OR MONTHS LATER. THESE WEAKER EARTHQUAKES CAN DESTROY PREVIOUSLY DAMAGED BUILDINGS.

TSUNAMIS WHEN THE PLATES UNDER THE OCEAN RISE OR FALL QUICKLY, SOMETIMES THEY PUSH THE WATER UP AND DOWN AND CAUSE A WAVE TO BE PRODUCED. IN THE DEEP OCEAN THE WAVE STRETCHES OUT 100 TO 200 KM BUT IT IS VERY SHALLOW (1/2 METER ABOVE A NORMAL WAVE. THE CLOSER TO LAND THE WAVE CHANGES INTO A SHORTER WAVELENGTH BUT A TALLER WAVE. SOMETIMES AS TALL AS A SIX STORY BUILDING.