In which countries were there earthquakes? Where do earthquakes not occur and why? Why do earthquakes cause tsunamis?

20% of the territory of Russia belongs to seismically active areas (including 5% of the territory is subject to extremely dangerous 8-10 magnitude earthquakes).

Over the past quarter century, about 30 significant earthquakes, that is, with a magnitude of more than seven on the Richter scale, have occurred in Russia. 20 million people live in zones of possible destructive earthquakes in Russia.

Residents of the Far Eastern region of Russia suffer the most from earthquakes and tsunamis. The Pacific coast of Russia is located in one of the “hottest” zones of the “Ring of Fire”. Here, in the area of ​​transition from the Asian continent to the Pacific Ocean and the junction of the Kuril-Kamchatka and Aleutian island volcanic arcs, more than a third of Russia’s earthquakes occur; there are 30 active volcanoes, including such giants as Klyuchevskaya Sopka and Shiveluch. Here is the most high density distribution of active volcanoes on Earth: for every 20 km of coast - one volcano. Earthquakes occur here no less often than in Japan or Chile. Seismologists usually count at least 300 significant earthquakes per year. On the seismic zoning map of Russia, the areas of Kamchatka, Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands belong to the so-called eight- and nine-point zone. This means that in these areas the intensity of shaking can reach 8 and even 9 points. Destruction may also result. The most destructive earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale occurred on Sakhalin Island on May 27, 1995. About 3 thousand people died, the city of Neftegorsk, located 30 kilometers from the epicenter of the earthquake, was almost completely destroyed.

Seismically active regions of Russia also include Eastern Siberia, where 7-9 point zones are distinguished in the Baikal region, Irkutsk region and the Buryat Republic.

Yakutia, through which the boundary of the Euro-Asian and North American plates passes, is not only considered a seismically active region, but is also a record holder: earthquakes with epicenters north of 70° N often occur here. As seismologists know, the bulk of earthquakes on Earth occur near the equator and in mid-latitudes, and in high latitudes such events are recorded extremely rarely. For example, on the Kola Peninsula, many different traces of high-power earthquakes have been discovered - mostly quite old. The forms of seismogenic relief discovered on the Kola Peninsula are similar to those observed in earthquake zones with an intensity of 9-10 points.

Other seismically active regions of Russia include the Caucasus, spurs of the Carpathians, and the coasts of the Black and Caspian Seas. These areas are characterized by earthquakes with a magnitude of 4-5. However, during the historical period, catastrophic earthquakes with a magnitude of more than 8.0 were also recorded here. Traces of a tsunami were also found on the Black Sea coast.

However, earthquakes can also occur in areas that cannot be called seismically active. On September 21, 2004, two series of tremors with a force of 4-5 points were recorded in Kaliningrad. The epicenter of the earthquake was 40 kilometers southeast of Kaliningrad near the Russian-Polish border. According to maps of general seismic zoning of the territory of Russia, the Kaliningrad region belongs to a seismically safe area. Here the probability of exceeding the intensity of such tremors is about 1% within 50 years.

Even residents of Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities located on the Russian Platform have reason to worry. On the territory of Moscow and the Moscow region, the last of these seismic events with a force of 3-4 points took place on March 4, 1977, on the nights of August 30-31, 1986 and May 5, 1990. The strongest known seismic tremors in Moscow, with an intensity of over 4 points, were observed on October 4, 1802 and November 10, 1940. These were “echoes” of larger earthquakes in the Eastern Carpathians.

The power of tremors is estimated by the amplitude of vibrations earth's crust from 1 to 10 points. Areas in mountainous areas are considered the most earthquake-prone. We present to you the most powerful earthquakes in history.

The worst earthquakes in history

The large number of victims is associated not so much with the strength of the tremors, but with their duration. Modern researchers can judge the consequences of the destruction of the earthquake in the 2nd century only from the surviving chronicles, according to which the cities of Catania, Messina and Ragusa in Sicily were practically destroyed, and the coastal cities of Akratiri and Paralimni in Cyprus were also covered by a strong wave.

Earthquake on the island of Haiti

Despite the fact that the earthquake occurred in 2010, the people of Haiti are still in need of humanitarian assistance, as well as on our own rebuilding settlements. This is the second most powerful earthquake in Haiti, the first occurred in 1751 - then the cities had to be rebuilt over the next 15 years.

Earthquake in China

Within 6 months after the main earthquake, so-called aftershocks were repeatedly felt - repeated seismic tremors with a power of 1-2 points. This disaster occurred during the reign of Emperor Jiajing, so in Chinese history it is called the Great Jiajing Earthquake.

The most powerful earthquakes in Russia

Earthquake on Sakhalin

The most significant consequences were felt in Neftegorsk, which was 30 kilometers from the epicenter of the earthquake. Within 17 seconds, almost all houses were destroyed. The damage caused amounted to 2 trillion rubles, and the authorities decided not to restore the settlements, so this city is no longer indicated on the map of Russia.

More than 1,500 rescuers were involved in eliminating the consequences. 2,040 people died under the rubble. A chapel was built and a memorial was erected on the site of Neftegorsk.

Earthquake in Japan

Tremors in Pacific Ocean caused a powerful tsunami, the height of the waves was 10 meters. As a result of the collapse of a large flow of water on the coast of Japan, a radiation accident occurred at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant. Subsequently, for several months, residents of nearby areas were prohibited from drinking tap water because of high content it contains cesium.

In addition, the Japanese government ordered TEPCO, which owns the nuclear power plant, to compensate moral damages to 80 thousand residents forced to leave the contaminated areas.

The most powerful earthquake in the world

The strongest tremors were felt in the state of Assam, which was reduced to ruins as a result of the earthquake - more than two thousand houses were destroyed and more than six thousand people were killed. The total area of ​​the territories caught in the destruction zone was 390 thousand square kilometers.

According to the site, earthquakes also often occur in volcanically active areas. We present to you an article about the highest volcanoes in the world.
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During times high technology, established rhythms of life, people often forget that they do not manage everything until the end. And the manifestations of global events such as earthquakes are only in a few cases truly noticeable. But if this cataclysm does reach civilized corners, this event may remain a scar on people's memories for a long time.

How does an earthquake happen?

Vibrations of the earth's surface, as well as tremors, are the process of an earthquake. Scientists believe that the earth's crust consists of 20 huge plates. They move at a very low speed of about a few centimeters per year through the upper layer of the mantle. The boundaries between plates are often mountains or deep-sea trenches. Where the slabs slide over each other, the edges become folded. And in the crust itself, cracks form - tectonic faults, through which mantle material seeps to the surface. Natural disasters such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions often occur in these places. The area of ​​shock wave divergence sometimes extends for hundreds of kilometers.

Causes of the earthquake

• Massive landslides rock from exposure groundwater often cause earth tremors at a short distance.
• In areas of active volcanoes, under the pressure of lava and gases top part crust, nearby areas are exposed to weak but prolonged tremors, often on the eve of an eruption.
• Man-made activities of people - the construction of dams, mining activity, nuclear weapons testing, accompanied by powerful underground explosions or redistribution of internal water masses.

How an earthquake occurs - earthquake foci

But not only the cause itself directly affects the power of the earthquake, but also the depth of the source of occurrence. The source or hypocenter itself can be located at any depth, from several kilometers to hundreds of kilometers. And it is a sharp displacement of large massifs of rocks. Even with a slight shift, vibrations of the earth's surface will occur, and the range of their movement will depend only on their strength and sharpness. But the further the surface, the less destructive the consequences of the cataclysm will be. The point above the source in the ground layer will be the epicenter. And it is often subject to the greatest deformation and destruction during the movement of seismic waves.

How an earthquake occurs - zones of seismic activity

Due to the fact that our planet has not yet stopped its geological formation, there are 2 zones - the Mediterranean and the Pacific. The Mediterranean stretches from the Sunda Islands to the Isthmus of Panama. The Pacific covers Japan, Kamchatka, Alaska, moves further to the California mountains, Peru, Antarctica and many other places. There is constant seismic activity due to the formation of young mountains and volcanic activity.

How does an earthquake occur - the strength of the earthquake

The consequences of such earthly activity can be dangerous. There is a whole science for studying and recording it - seismology. It uses several types of measurements of magnitude - a measure of the energy of seismic waves. The most popular Richter scale with a 10-point system.

• Less than 3 points are recorded only by seismographs due to their weakness.
• From 3 to 4 points a person already feels slight swaying of the surface. The environment begins to react - the movement of dishes, the swaying of chandeliers.
• At 5 points, the effect is enhanced; in old buildings, interior decoration may crumble.
• 6 points can significantly damage old buildings, causing rattling or cracking of glass in new houses, but they are already damaged at 7 points;
• Points 8 and 9 cause significant destruction over large areas and bridge collapses.
• The strongest 10 massive earthquakes are also the rarest and cause catastrophic destruction.

• When living in high-rise buildings, you should understand that the lower a person is, the better, but during evacuation you cannot use elevators.
• It is worth leaving the buildings and moving away from them for safe distance(turning off the light and gas), avoiding big trees and power lines.
• If it is not possible to leave the premises, you need to move away from window openings and tall furniture or hide under a strong table or bed.
• While driving, it is better to stop and avoid high points or bridges.

Humanity cannot yet prevent earthquakes, or even predict in detail the reaction of the earth's crust to seismic shocks. Due to the huge number of variables involved, these are incredibly complex forecasts. A person successfully passively defends himself in the form of strengthening buildings and improving the layout of infrastructure. This allows countries located on the line of constant seismic activity to develop successfully.

Hello, dear reader! I am glad to see you on the blog, the author of which is me, Vladimir Raichev. And today I want to tell you about the most powerful earthquake. This earthquake has not happened yet, but scientists are already predicting its occurrence.

Friends, I recommend that you read about the most destructive earthquakes in human history, which I wrote about in this article. But scientists say the worst earthquake is yet to come.

As a result of this natural disaster, the earth will move more than 10 meters and rivers will begin to change their course.

A powerful earthquake and large floods threaten Bangladesh and India. More than 140 million people are at risk, geophysicists at Columbia University warn. Scientists have explored the boundaries of tectonic plates in Bangladesh. They argue that geophysical stresses in this region have been increasing for more than 400 years.

Scientists warn that Bangladesh and India are threatened by an earthquake measuring 9 (perhaps even much higher) on the Richter scale. As a result, the ground will move more than ten meters, and rivers will change flow directions, resulting in gigantic floods in the most densely populated region of the world.

When will the earthquake happen?

Scientists admit, however, that it is impossible to predict when disaster will come:

“We don’t know how long it takes for tectonic plates to release stress, because we don’t know exactly how much time has passed from last earthquake. This could be a very short time, the next decades or even years, but it could happen within the next 500 years, scientists admit.

Where else is an earthquake likely to occur?

Experts say a similar threat is emerging at the other end of our globe. Stresses on the San Andreas Fault, which runs through California, are also constantly increasing. Geophysicists are convinced that 99% of the earthquakes in this region will occur within the next 15-30 years, and its strength will reach 7 points.

Just imagine: a magnitude 9 earthquake! This is simply deadly for India and Bangladesh. When we were in Goa, I noticed that even in this relatively rich state of India there is no seismic protection for buildings. Roughly speaking, a powerful earthquake will simply wipe this beautiful country off the face of the Earth.

I think I'll stop scaring you for today. I hope that nothing bad will happen to our wonderful planet. Subscribe to blog updates so as not to miss anything interesting, share this article with your friends on in social networks. Until we meet again, bye-bye.

Most of the largest earthquakes occur according to one scenario: rigid plate structures, consisting of the earth's crust and mantle, move, colliding with each other. There are 7 largest plates in the world: Antarctic, Eurasian, Indo-Australian, North American, Pacific and South American.

Over the past two billion years, the movement of plates has accelerated significantly, which, accordingly, has increased the chances of such a catastrophe. On the other hand, based on studies of the movement of tectonic plates, scientists can, albeit approximately, predict the occurrence of the next major earthquake. Based on publicly available data, we have compiled a list of cities where the likelihood of such an event is already very high.

San Francisco

A powerful earthquake with an epicenter in the Santa Cruz Mountains, about a hundred kilometers from the city of San Francisco, is just around the corner. Or rather, over the next couple of years. However, most residents of the City by the Bay prepared for the disaster by stocking up on medicines, drinking water and food products. In turn, the city authorities are busy urgently carrying out work to strengthen the buildings.

Fremantle

Fremantle is a port city located on the west coast of Australia. According to seismological studies by specialists from the University of Sydney, a strong earthquake of about 6 on the Richter scale is expected there between the end of 2016 and 2024. However, the main danger is that the shock could occur on the ocean floor near the city, causing a tsunami.

Tokyo

According to experts' forecasts major earthquake with its epicenter in the Japanese capital, there is a 75% chance of happening at any time within the next 30 years. According to the model created by scientists, about 23 thousand people will become victims of the disaster and over 600 thousand buildings will be destroyed. In addition to increasing the level of seismic resistance of buildings and demolishing old structures, the Tokyo administration will introduce non-combustible building materials. The 1995 Kobe earthquake showed the Japanese that people more often become victims not of collapsed buildings, but of fires that occur after a disaster.

Los Angeles

Earthquakes happen quite often in the City of Angels, but there haven't been any truly major ones for over a century. The gloomier is the forecast presented by seismologists and geologists from the US Geological Society. Based on an analysis of soils and tectonic plates under central California, scientists have concluded that a magnitude 6.7 earthquake could occur here before 2037. A shock of such force, under certain circumstances, can turn a city into ruins.

Panama

Within a few next years A powerful earthquake measuring more than 8.5 on the Richter scale will occur in the area of ​​the Isthmus of Panama. Experts from the University of San Diego came to these conclusions after conducting seismological studies of faults adjacent to the Panama Canal. The effects of an earthquake of truly catastrophic proportions will be felt by the inhabitants of both Americas. And most of all, of course, the capital of the republic, Panama, where about 1.5 million people live, will suffer.

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

A strong earthquake in the medium term, i.e. in the next 4-5 years, will occur in the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky area. Such data were reported in the seismology department of the Schmidt Institute of Earth Physics. In connection with this forecast, work is being carried out in Kamchatka to strengthen buildings, and the Ministry of Emergency Situations is checking the seismic resistance of buildings. In addition, a network of stations was organized to monitor the symptoms of an approaching earthquake: high-frequency vibrations of the earth's crust, water levels in wells, and fluctuations in magnetic fields.

Grozny

According to the same seismology department, a major earthquake in the period from 2017 to 2036. may occur in the North Caucasus, on the border of Chechnya and Dagestan. Unlike the situation in Kamchatka, no work is being carried out there to reduce possible damage from earthquakes, which could entail large quantity human casualties than if such work had been carried out.

NY

New research results from American seismologists from Columbia University indicate a high seismic hazard currently in the vicinity of New York. The magnitude of the earthquake can reach five points, which can lead to the complete destruction of old buildings in the city. Another cause for concern was the nuclear power plant located right at the intersection of two faults, i.e. in an extremely dangerous region. Its destruction could turn New York into a second Chernobyl.

Banda Aceh

Indonesia is located in the most seismically active zone on the planet, and therefore earthquakes here will not surprise anyone. In particular, the island of Sumatra constantly finds itself almost directly at the epicenter of tremors. A new earthquake, predicted by seismologists, with an epicenter 28 km from the city of Banda Aceh, which will occur in the next six months, will not be an exception.

Bucharest

A strong earthquake in Romania could be triggered by blasting of shale rocks carried out in the Carpathian Mountains region. Geophysicists from the Romanian National Institute report that the epicenter of the future earthquake will be located there, at a depth of 40 kilometers. The fact is that search work shale gas in these layers of earth can cause displacements of the earth's crust and, as a result, earthquakes.