Earthquakes
The National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) is the resource we turn to for accurate information regarding earthquakes. They are able to determine when and where an earthquake will take place. An earthquake is classified as waves of energy that result from shifting masses of rock that is miles below the surface of the earth.
Every single state in the United States has experienced an earthquake at some point. Florida and North Dakota have the fewest with California and Alaska experiencing the most. California experiences many more earthquakes than Alaska, but the majority of those that hit California are very low in magnitude. Alaska is hit with 7 and 8 magnitude earthquakes.
They also maintain a database regarding earthquakes including the location they took place in, the severity, and a summary of the event. This database is used to compile accurate information for predicting and calculating earthquakes. It is estimated that 500,000 earthquakes take place across the world each year.
The first earthquake that we have history of took place in Los Angeles, California in 1769. Since then California has been hit harder than any other region by earthquakes. This is because of the layers under the surface of the ground. Scientists believe earthquakes take place on the moon as well as on the Earth. It is believed they have a much smaller impact, and are the result of tidal stress between the Earth and the moon.
An earthquake has two parts. The hypocenter is under the surface. This is where the earthquake actually forms and starts to move. The epicenter is the location that the earthquake physically touches above the ground. Earthquakes are classified on a scale from 1 to 10 based on the magnitude of the earthquake. The more severe the earthquake is the higher it ranks on the scale.
The largest earthquake to take place in the United States rated 9.2 on the scale. It took place in William Sound, Alaska in 1964. Worldwide, the largest recorded earthquake was in Chile during 1960, with a rating of 9.5. The deadliest earthquake to ever take place in the world is the 1556 earthquake that struck Central China. The dwellings here where people lived consisted of rocks. The dwellings collapsed, resulting in more than 800,000 people dying.
Earthquakes are carefully monitored and documented. While we now know what causes them and the areas most prone to experience them, we are no where close to discovering a way to control this natural phenomena. NEIC continues to conduct research but works hard to notify people of earthquakes that may hit as well as educating about them.
