How does the duration of an earthquake affect the amount of damage?

How does the duration of an earthquake affect the amount of damage?

So the larger the area of the fault that ruptures, the longer the duration of the earthquake. And larger magnitude earthquakes have larger fault areas. We actually do use the duration of shaking to estimate the magnitude for some small earthquakes.

How do earthquakes affect building structures?

Conventional buildings shake with the ground in an earthquake. They may sustain structural damage but are designed to remain standing. If the building shakes too much, structural elements, including beams, columns, walls and braces, can be damaged, rendering the building nonfunctional.

What is the duration of an earthquake?

Generally, only seconds. Strong ground shaking during a moderate to large earthquake typically lasts about 10 to 30 seconds. Readjustments in the earth cause more earthquakes (aftershocks) that can occur intermittently for weeks or months.

What factors influence earthquake damage?

When an earthquake strikes, the intensity of earthquake shaking determines the severity of damage. In turn, the main factors affecting earthquake shaking intensity are earthquake depth, proximity to the fault, the underlying soil, and building characteristics—particularly height.

How do earthquakes destroy buildings?

When a fault ruptures, seismic waves are propagated in all directions, causing the ground to vibrate at frequencies ranging from about 0.1 to 30 Hertz. Buildings vibrate as a consequence of the ground shaking; damage takes place if the building cannot withstand these vibrations.

Why do earthquakes damage buildings?

Ground shaking is the primary cause of earthquake damage to man-made structures. Many factors influence the strength of earthquake shaking at a site including the earthquake’s magnitude, the site’s proximity to the fault, the local geology, and the soil type.

How much damage do earthquakes cause yearly?

On September 20, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reported that earthquake losses in the United States add up to about $4.4 billion dollars annually. This study was based on a new methodology to estimate earthquake risk and future losses by geographic area.

How long do earthquakes last by magnitude?

The larger the quake, the longer it may last. Quakes around magnitudes 5-6 often last up to 30 seconds. The very largest quakes can produce shaking that lasts several minutes, but these are fortunately extremely rare. Aftershocks often continue for many weeks, months or even years after larger earthquakes.

What are the effects of earthquake on landforms?

Earthquakes often cause dramatic changes at Earth’s surface. In addition to the ground movements, other surface effects include changes in the flow of groundwater, landslides, and mudflows. Earthquakes can do significant damage to buildings, bridges, pipelines, railways, embankments, dams, and other structures …

How do earthquakes cause damage?

The damage caused by earthquakes is from ground shaking, ground rupture, landslides, tsunamis, and liquefaction. Earthquake damage from fires is the most important secondary effect. Northridge, at a 6.7 magnitude earthquake, killed 58 people, injured more than 9,000 and caused more than $49 billion in economic loss.

How do earthquakes affect high rise buildings?

The results obtained from the dynamic analysis of two different high-rise buildings (54-story and 76-story buildings) investigated in the current study indicate that earthquake loads excite higher modes that produce lower interstory drift, compared to wind loads, but higher accelerations that occur for a shorter time.

How do earthquakes affect buildings?

How do earthquakes affect buildings? Ground shaking is the primary cause of earthquake damage to man-made structures. Many factors influence the strength of earthquake shaking at a site including the earthquake’s magnitude, the site’s proximity to the fault, the local geology, and the soil type.

What factors influence the strength of earthquake shaking at a site?

Many factors influence the strength of earthquake shaking at a site including the earthquake’s magnitude, the site’s proximity to the fault, the local geology, and the soil type.

Could a great earthquake cause buildings to collapse in Los Angeles?

A great earthquake along the southern San Andreas Fault could cause many tall buildings to collapse in Los Angeles, explains USGS earthquake expert Dr. Ken Hudnut in a new video interview. Friday’s magnitude-5.2 earthquake in southern Illinois is a reminder that earthquakes are a national hazard.

How can we reduce the risks that earthquakes pose to society?

The risks that earthquakes pose to society, including death, injury, and economic loss, can be greatly reduced by (1) better planning, construction, and mitigation practices before earthquakes happen, and (2)…