1. Ground shaking during the 2010 Haiti earthquake caused most of the houses in this residential neighborhood to collapse. Haiti 2010

2. Christchurch 2011

3. Earth: Portrait of a Planet, 4 th Edition Copyright © 2012 W. W. Norton & Company Tsunami washes over coastal Japan 2011

5. Seismometer

6. Seismogram

7. P waves

8. Earth: Portrait of a Planet, 4 th Edition Copyright © 2012 W. W. Norton & Company S Waves

9. Earth: Portrait of a Planet, 4 th Edition Copyright © 2012 W. W. Norton & Company

10. LOCATING THE EPICENTER OF AN EARTHQUAKE Three seismograms are needed (Triangulation) Costa Rica, Ireland and Philippines

11. Seismogram for Costa Rica P wave S wave Surface wave 10:15AM 10:20AM 10:25AM 10:30AM Seismogram for Costa Rica

13. Richter Scale Amount of energy released during an earthquake

14. MERCALLI INTENSITY SCALE IntensityDescriptionDestructiveness (Extent of damage) IInstrumentalDetected only by instruments; causes no damage IIFeebleFelt by a few stationary people, especially in the upper floors of buildings; suspended objects like lamps may swing. IIISlightFelt indoors; standing automobiles sway on their suspensions; it seems as though a heavy truck is passing. IVModerateShaking awakens some sleepers; dishes and windows rattle. VRather strongMost people awaken; some dishes and windows break, unstable objects tip over; trees and poles sway. VIStrongShaking frightens some people; plaster walls crack, heavy furniture moves slightly, and a few chimneys crack but overall little damage occurs. VIIVery StrongGeneral alarm; Most people are frightened and run outside; a lot of plaster cracks, windows break, some chimneys topple, and unstable furniture overturns; poorly constructed buildings sustain considerable damage. VIIIDestructiveMany chimneys and factory smokestacks topple; masonry cracks; heavy furniture overturns; substantial buildings sustain some damage, and poorly constructed buildings sustain severe damage. IXRuinousSome buildings collapse; frame buildings separate from their foundations; most buildings sustain damage, and the ground cracks, underground pipes break and rails bend: some landslides occur. XDisastrousThe ground severely cracks in places; most masonry structures and some well constructed wooden structures are destroyed; many landslides occur along steep slopes; some bridges collapse; some sediment liquefies; concrete dams may crack; facades on many buildings collapse; railways and roads suffer severe damage. XIVery DisastrousFew masonry buildings remain standing; many bridges collapse; broad fissures form in the ground; most pipelines break; severe liquefaction of sediment occurs; some dams collapse; facades on most buildings collapse or are severely damaged. XIICatastrophicEarthquake waves cause visible undulations of the ground surface; objects are thrown up off the ground; there is complete destruction of buildings and bridges of all types.