The document discusses earthquakes, including their magnitude and effects. It provides a scale for classifying earthquake magnitudes from minor to great, and estimates the number of earthquakes that occur each year at different magnitudes. Minor earthquakes under magnitude 3 are usually not felt, while great earthquakes over 8 can destroy communities near the epicenter. The intensity of shaking depends on factors like the surrounding rock/soil, earthquake size, and distance from the epicenter. Damage also varies by structure type, with flexible wood/steel buildings less vulnerable than brittle concrete/masonry. Specific earthquake examples from locations like Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tonga are then described.

1. Earthquakes
By Kate Harptead

2. Magnitude Earthquake Effects Estimated Number
Each Year
2.5 or less
Usually not felt, but can be recorded by
seismograph.
900,000
2.5 to 5.4 Often felt, but only causes minor damage. 30,000
5.5 to 6.0 Slight damage to buildings and other structures. 500
6.1 to 6.9
May cause a lot of damage in very populated
areas.
100
7.0 to 7.9 Major earthquake. Serious damage. 20
8.0 or greater
Great earthquake. Can totally destroy
communities near the epicenter.
One every 5 to 10 years

3. Class Magnitude
Great 8 or more
Major 7 - 7.9
Strong 6 - 6.9
Moderate 5 - 5.9
Light 4 - 4.9
Minor 3 -3.9

4. The epicenter is the point on the Earth's
surface that is the point where an earthquake
originates.
With earthquakes, the epicenter is directly
above the point where the fault begins to
crack, and in most cases, it is the area of
greatest damage.

5. The intensity of ground shaking depends on:
• The kind of rock/soil it is around the epicenter. In
general, loose sediment is more likely to have intense
shaking than solid bedrock.
• Size of the earthquake. In general, the larger the
earthquake, the more intense is the shaking is.
• Distance from the epicenter.
• Damage to structures from shaking depends on the type of
construction.
a) Concrete and masonry structures are brittle and more likely to
be damaged
b) Wood and steel structures are more flexible and less likely to be
damaged

7. October 09, 2013
10:01
Close to Jurm, Badakhshan, Afghanistan
139 miles in depth
4.0 magnitude
It happened in the mountains
of Badakhshan and no one was
affected by it. There wasn’t any
buildings but the buildings in
that area aren’t very safe for
earthquakes.

9. 59 miles north of Awaran, Pakistan
September 28, 2013
07:34 AM
Epicenter was 8 miles underground 6.8 magnitude
As you can see, these houses weren’t built well at
all. They completely collapsed. Many of the
buildings in that area are like this and ended up
like this.
Right now, 515 people were found
dead and countless others injured.

10. Bela, Balochistan, Pakistan
7.7 magnitude 70 miles deep
September 24, 2013
11:29 AM
More than 350 people were
injured and over 200 were
dead.
These homes were also poorly
built and most collapsed. Many
of the homes were hade of mud
and stone.
A new island also appeared because
the plates moved so much that it could
slide through.

11. The Tonga Island earthquake
8.0 earthquake May 03, 2006
3:26
34.2 miles deep
It was in the water and
caused a tsunami. Only 10
people died.
The building fell with the tsunami and
earthquake altogether. Not much
could have been done to save the
buildings.