Introduction About Us Earthquakes are among the most deadly natural hazards.
There are
around 100 earthquakes each year of a size that could cause serious damage. They strike
without warning and many of the Earth’s earthquake zones coincide with areas of high
population density. When large earthquakes occur in such areas the results can be catastrophic,
with terrible loss of human lives and untold economic cost. The British Geological Survey, part of
the Natural Environment Research Council, is the United Kingdom's premier centre for earth
science information and expertise. The Survey operates the UK-wide earthquake-monitoring
network of over 140 seismograph stations. Our aims are to provide a nearimmediate response
to the occurrence, or reported occurrence, of significant seismic events in the UK, and also to
develop a database of seismic activity in the UK for use in seismic hazard assessment. The
project is supported by NERC and a customer group that includes central and local government,
the regulatory bodies for the oil and nuclear industry, and private sector companies in the oil,
nuclear and water industries. Seismology is the study of earthquakes and seismic waves. The
seismograph records the seismic waves generated by earthquakes, allowing the seismologist to
determine where, and how deep, a particular earthquake is. Also, the seismic waves from
earthquakes can be used to image the deep interior of the Earth, providing vital clues to the
internal structure of our planet. Website Links to Seismology Information This booklet will
explain: what an earthquake is; why and where they occur; how the vibrations from an
earthquake travel as waves through the Earth; how we measure them; the Earth’s largest and
most damaging earthquakes; and, earthquakes in the UK. IDEERS web site at Bristol University.
This site has a range of educational information to which BGS is contributing -
www.ideers.bris.ac.uk. Virtual Coursework on Earthquakes. Online tutorial on how to calculate
the epicentre and magnitude of an earthquake. www.sciencecourseware.org/eec/Earthquake.
USGS education site for children gives an excellent introduction to all elements of seismology -
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learning/kids/ What is an earthquake BGS recent earthquakes list
(UK region only) - www.earthquakes.bgs.ac.uk/recent_events/recent_events.html Movements
within the Earth’s crust cause stress to build up at points of weakness, and rocks to deform.
Stored energy builds up in the same way as energy builds up in the spring of a watch when it is
wound. When the stress finally exceeds the strength of the rock, the rock fractures along a fault,
often at a zone of existing weakness within the rock. The stored energy is suddenly released as
an earthquake
At the boundaries between the plates, where they are moving together, apart or past each other,
tremendous stresses build up, and are where most earthquakes occur. The outer shell of the
Earth, or Lithosphere, is made up of a number of rigid segments called tectonic plates. These
plates are continually moving at rates of a few centimetres per year (about as fast as your
fingernails grow), driven by forces deep within the Earth. Below the Lithospheric plates, lies the
Earth’s Asthenosphere. The Asthenosphere behaves like a fluid over very long time scales,
allowing it to convect. Convection acts like giant conveyor belts, moving the overlying plates
around. If we look at the pattern of where earthquakes occur around the world, it is clear that
most of the earthquake activity is concentrated in a number of distinct earthquake belts. For
instance, around the edge of the Pacific Ocean, or in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. These
earthquake belts provide an important clue in the development of the theory of plate tectonics.
Earthquake waves spread out Focus Fault Plane W
