Posted by 1. There are several million earthquakes annually
According to the US Geological Survey, there are around 17 large earthquakes measuring above 7.0 on the Richter scale per year, with one great earthquake measuring above 8.0. Experts believe that several million earthquakes occur each year, with many going unnoticed due to their geographical remoteness or minor magnitude.
2. An earthquake can affect the length of a day An 8.9 magnitude earthquake that shook northeast Japan on March 11, 2011 changed the geographic distribution of the earth’s mass, causing it to rotate slightly quicker and shortening an earth day by about 1.8 microseconds.
3. San Francisco is moving towards L.A. San Francisco is getting closer to Los Angeles at a rate of around two inches every year. That is also the rate at which your fingernails develop. This is due to the San Andreas Fault’s two sides gradually moving past one another. In several million years, the cities will collide.Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California, has undergone extensive seismic retrofit work.
4. Standing water smells before an earthquake Ponds, canals, lakes, and other bodies of standing water may emit a foul odour and become somewhat warmer before an earthquake. This is due to subterranean gases being released as the plates shift. This may cause changes in the behaviour of wildlife in the region. Scientists from the Open University’s Department of Life Sciences discovered toads missing before and returning after an earthquake rocked Italy in 2009. Toads are also thought to detect changes in water chemistry induced by rock stresses.
5. Internal waves post-quake are called “seiches” Following an earthquake, you may notice an internal wave sloshing the water in swimming pools and ponds. This is referred to as a seiche (pronounced “saysh”). Water might continue to swirl around for hours after the earthquake has ended. The University of Arizona’s swimming pool in Tucson lost water because to a seiche triggered by the 1985 earthquake in Mexico, which was 2000 km away.
Related link: What to Do in a Flash Flood Emergency
6. Inca and traditional Japanese architecture was designed with earthquakes in mind Inca architecture, like Japanese pagodas, was designed to endure earthquakes. When Incan builders built the city of Machu Picchu over 500 years ago, they invented an amazing building technique to save the structures from toppling during the country’s periodic earthquakes.
7. The Pacific Ocean is the root of most earthquakes The vast majority – in fact about 90% – of the world’s earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire, which is an area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean.
8. A Chilean city moved ten feet to the west as a result of an earthquake During a massive earthquake on Saturday 27 February, 2010, measuring 8.8 on the Richter scale, the earth’s crust was ripped so dramatically that the city of Concepcion actually moved 10 feet to the west.
9. An earthquake caused Everest to shrink On 25 April 2015, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake inflicted severe damage to the nation of Nepal, causing several Himalayan mountains to shrink, including Mount Everest which shrunk by one inch. Earth’s highest mountain, Mount Everest, is located in the Mahalangur Range.