Which cities are most likely to experience earthquakes? Dangerous areas of the world. Under the water
Most of the largest earthquakes occur according to one scenario: rigid plate structures, consisting of earth's crust and mantles move by colliding with each other. In total, 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 the plates has accelerated significantly, which, accordingly, 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 appearance of the next major earthquake. Based on publicly available data, we have estimated a list of cities where the likelihood of such an event is very high right now.
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. More specifically, over the next couple of years. However, most of the inhabitants of the City by the Bay prepared for the disaster by stocking up on medicines for the future, drinking water and food products. In turn, the city authorities are busy with what they carry out in urgently building reinforcement work.
Fremantle
Fremantle is a port city located on west coast Australia. According to seismological research by specialists from the University of Sydney, from the end of 2016 to 2024, a strong earthquake of about 6 on the Richter scale is expected there. However, the main danger is that the shock could occur at the bottom of the ocean near the city, causing a tsunami.
Tokyo
According to experts, a major earthquake with an epicenter in the Japanese capital with a probability of 75% can occur at any time within the next 30 years. According to the model created by scientists, about 23 thousand people will become a victim of the disaster and over 600 thousand buildings will be destroyed. In addition to improving the 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 are more likely to fall victim not to collapsed buildings, but to post-disaster fires.
Los Angeles
Earthquakes in the City of Angels happen quite often, but there have been no truly large ones for more than a century. The more gloomy is the forecast presented by seismologists and geologists from the US Geological Society. Based on the analysis of soils and tectonic plates under central part California, scientists concluded that before 2037 an earthquake of magnitude 6.7 could occur here. A push of such force, under certain circumstances, can turn a city into ruins.
Panama
Within a few next years a powerful earthquake, with a power of more than 8.5 on the Richter scale, will occur in the Isthmus of Panama region. These conclusions were made by specialists from the University of San Diego, after they conducted seismological studies of faults adjacent to the Panama Canal. The action 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, that is, in the next 4-5 years, will occur in the area of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Such data were reported in the seismology department of the Schmidt Institute of Physics of the Earth. In connection with this forecast, work is underway to strengthen buildings in Kamchatka, and the Ministry of Emergency Situations checks the seismic resistance of buildings. In addition, a network of stations was organized to monitor the symptoms of an approaching earthquake: high-frequency fluctuations in the earth's crust, water levels in wells, fluctuations in magnetic fields.
Grozny
According to the same department of seismology, 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 the possible damage from earthquakes, which could lead to large quantity loss of life than if such work were carried out.
New York
New research results by American seismologists from Columbia University indicate a high seismic hazard at the present time in the vicinity of New York. The magnitude of the earthquake could reach five points, which could 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, ie. in an extremely dangerous region. Its destruction could make New York a second Chernobyl.
Banda Aceh
Indonesia is located in the most seismically active zone of the planet, and therefore you will not surprise anyone here with earthquakes. In particular, the island of Sumatra, constantly turns out to be almost right at the epicenter of tremors. An exception will not be 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.
Bucharest
The strongest earthquake in Romania can be provoked by blasting in shale rocks carried out in the Carpathian Mountains. Geophysicists from Romanian national institute report that the epicenter of the future earthquake will be in the same place, at a depth of 40 kilometers. The fact is that work to search for shale gas in these layers of the earth can cause displacements of the earth's crust and, as a result, earthquakes.
An earthquake is a natural phenomenon with destructive power, it is unpredictable disaster occurring suddenly and unexpectedly. An earthquake is a tremor caused by tectonic processes occurring inside the earth, these are vibrations earth's surface, which arise as a result of sudden ruptures and displacements of sections of the earth's crust. Earthquakes occur anywhere in the world, at any time of the year, it is virtually impossible to determine where and when, and how strong an earthquake will be.
They not only destroy our homes and change natural landscape, but also demolish cities and destroy entire civilizations, they bring people fear, grief and death.
How is the strength of an earthquake measured?
The intensity of tremors is measured in points. Earthquakes with a force of 1-2 points are caught only by special instruments - seismographs.
With an earthquake strength of 3-4 points, vibrations are already picked up not only by seismographs, but also by a person - the objects surrounding us, chandeliers, pots of flowers are swaying, dishes are ringing, cabinet doors are opening, trees and buildings are swaying, and the person himself is swaying.
At 5 points, it shakes even more, the wall clock stops, cracks appear on buildings, and plaster crumbles.
At 6-7 points, the fluctuations are strong, objects fall, paintings hanging on the walls, cracks appear on window panes and on the walls of stone houses.
Earthquakes of 8-9 points lead to the collapse of walls and the destruction of buildings and bridges, even stone houses are destroyed, and cracks form on the surface of the earth.
A 10-point earthquake is more destructive - buildings collapse, pipelines burst and railway rails, landslides and collapses occur.
But the most catastrophic in terms of strength of destruction are earthquakes of 11-12 points.
In a matter of seconds, the natural landscape changes, mountains collapse, cities turn into ruins, huge sinkholes form in the earth, lakes disappear, and new islands can appear in the sea. But the most terrible and irreplaceable thing in such earthquakes is that people die. 
There is also another more accurate objective way to assess the strength of an earthquake - by the magnitude of the vibrations caused by the earthquake. This value is called magnitude and determines the strength, that is, the energy of the earthquake, the highest value of magnitude is 9.
Source and epicenter of an earthquake
The force of destruction also depends on the depth of the earthquake source, the deeper the earthquake source occurs from the surface of the earth, the less destructive force the seismic waves carry.
The focus arises at the place of displacement of giant rock masses and can be located at any depth from eight to eight hundred kilometers. It doesn’t matter at all whether this displacement is large or not, vibrations of the earth’s surface still occur and how far these vibrations spread depends on their energy and forces.
The greater depth of the earthquake source reduces the destruction on the earth's surface. The destructiveness of an earthquake also depends on the size of the source. If the vibrations of the earth's crust are strong and sharp, then catastrophic destruction occurs on the surface of the earth.
The epicenter of an earthquake should be considered a point above the focus, located on the surface of the earth. Seismic or shock waves diverge from the source in all directions, the farther from the source, the less the intensity of the earthquake. The speed of shock waves can reach eight kilometers per second.
Where do earthquakes most often occur?
What corners of our planet are more seismically dangerous?
There are two belts where earthquakes occur most often. One belt starts at the Sunda Islands and ends at the Isthmus of Panama. This is the Mediterranean belt - it stretches from east to west, passes through mountains such as the Himalayas, Tibet, Altai, Pamir, the Caucasus, the Balkans, the Apennines, the Pyrenees and passes through the Atlantic.
The second belt is called the Pacific. This is Japan, the Philippines, it also covers Hawaiian and Kurile Islands, Kamchatka, Alaska, Iceland. Runs along western coasts Northern and South America, through the mountains of California, Peru, Chile, Tierra del Fuego and Antarctica.
There are also seismically active zones on the territory of our country. it North Caucasus, Altai and Sayans, Kuril Islands and Kamchatka, Chukotka and Koryak Highlands, Sakhalin, Primorye and Amur Region, Baikal zone.
Earthquakes also often occur near our neighbors - in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Armenia and other states. Yes, and in other areas that are distinguished by seismic stability, tremors periodically occur.
The seismic instability of these belts is associated with tectonic processes in the earth's crust. Those territories in which there are active smoking volcanoes, where there are mountain ranges and the formation of mountains continues, there are most often the centers of earthquakes and tremors often occur in those places. 
Why earthquakes happen
Earthquakes are the result tectonic movement, occurring in the depths of our Earth, the reasons for which these movements arise are many - this is the external influence of space, the Sun, solar flares and magnetic storms.
This, and the so-called ground waves, which periodically arise on the surface of our earth. These waves are clearly visible on the sea surface - sea tides and ebbs. On the earth's surface, they are not noticeable, but are fixed by instruments. Ground waves cause deformation of the earth's surface.
Some scientists suggest that the moon may be the culprit of earthquakes, or rather, the vibrations that occur on the lunar surface, they also affect the earth's surface. It was observed that strong destructive earthquakes coincided with the full moon.
Scientists also note those natural phenomena that precede earthquakes - these are strong, prolonged precipitation, large drops atmospheric pressure, unusual air glow, restless behavior of animals, as well as an increase in gases - argon, radon and helium and uranium and fluorine compounds in groundwater.
Our planet continues its geological development, young mountain ranges are growing and forming, in connection with human activity, new cities appear, forests are destroyed, swamps are drained, new reservoirs appear, and the changes that occur in the depths of our Earth and on its surface cause all kinds of natural disasters.
Human activities also have a negative impact on the mobility of the earth's crust. A person who imagines himself a tamer and creator of nature, thoughtlessly intervenes in the natural landscape - demolishes mountains, erects dams and hydroelectric stations on rivers, builds new reservoirs, cities.
Yes, and mining - oil, gas, coal, building materials - crushed stone, sand - affects seismic activity. And in those areas where the likelihood of earthquakes is high, seismic activity is further enhanced. With his ill-conceived actions, a person provokes landslides, landslides and earthquakes. Earthquakes that occur due to human activity are called technogenic.
Another type of earthquake occurs with the participation of man. In underground nuclear explosions, when tectonic weapons are being tested, or when a large amount of explosives, as well as vibrations of the earth's crust. The intensity of such tremors is not very great, but they can provoke an earthquake. Such earthquakes are called artificial.
There are still volcanic earthquakes and landslide. Volcanic earthquakes are caused by high stress in the interior of a volcano, and these earthquakes are caused by volcanic gas and lava. The duration of such earthquakes is from several weeks to several months, they are weak and do not pose a danger to people.
Landslide earthquakes are caused by large landslides and collapses.
Earthquakes occur daily on our Earth, about a hundred thousand earthquakes a year are recorded by instruments. This incomplete list of catastrophic earthquakes that occurred on our planet clearly shows what kind of losses mankind suffers from earthquakes.
Catastrophic earthquakes that have occurred in recent years
1923 - Japan, the epicenter near Tokyo, killed about 150 thousand people.
1948 - Turkmenistan, Ashgabat was completely destroyed, about a hundred thousand dead.
1970 in Peru, a landslide caused by an earthquake killed 66,000 people in the city of Yungai.
1976 - China, the city of Tiangshan is destroyed, 250 thousand dead. 
1988 - Armenia, the city of Spitak was destroyed - 25 thousand people died.
1990 - Iran, Gilan province, 40 thousand dead.
1995 - Sakhalin Island, 2 thousand people died.
1999 - Turkey, the cities of Istanbul and Izmir - 17 thousand dead.
1999 - Taiwan, 2.5 thousand people died.
2001 - India, Gujarat - 20 thousand dead.
2003 - Iran, the city of Bam was destroyed, about 30 thousand people died.
2004 - the island of Sumatra - an earthquake and tsunami caused by an earthquake killed 228 thousand people.
2005 - Pakistan, Kashmir region - 76 thousand people died.
2006 - the island of Java - 5700 people died.
2008 - China, Sichuan province, 87 thousand people died.
2010 - Haiti, -220 thousand people died.
2011 - Japan - an earthquake and tsunami claimed the lives of more than 28 thousand people, explosions at the Fukushima nuclear power plant led to an environmental disaster.
The most powerful shocks destroy the infrastructure of cities, buildings, depriving us of housing, bring enormous damage to the inhabitants of those countries where the elements have broken out, but the worst and irreparable is the death of millions of people. History preserves the memory of destroyed cities, vanished civilizations, and no matter how terrible the power of the elements, a person, having survived the tragedy, restores his housing, builds new cities, builds new gardens and revives the fields on which he grows his own food.
How to behave during an earthquake
At the first shocks of an earthquake, a person experiences fear, confusion, because everything around starts to move, chandeliers sway, dishes rattle, cabinet doors open, and sometimes objects fall, the earth leaves from under his feet. Many panic, begin to rush about, others, on the contrary, hesitate, freeze in place.
If you are on floors 1-2, the first thing you should do is to try to leave the premises as quickly as possible and move to a safe distance from buildings, try to find open space, pay attention to power lines, you can’t be under them, with strong shocks, the wires can break and you can get an electric shock.
If you are above the 2nd floor or have not had time to jump out into the street, try to leave the corner rooms. It is better to hide under the table or under the bed, stand in the opening of the internal doors, in the corner of the room, but away from cabinets and windows, as broken glass and objects in the cabinets, and the cabinets themselves, refrigerators can hit and injure you when falling. 
If you still decide to leave the apartment, then be careful not to enter the elevator, during strong earthquakes the elevator can turn off or collapse, and it is also not advised to run to the stairs. flights of stairs may be damaged due to an earthquake, and a crowd of people rushing to the stairs will increase the load on them and the stairs may collapse. Going out on balconies is just as dangerous, they can also collapse. Do not jump out of windows.
If tremors caught you on the street, move to an open space, away from buildings, from power lines, from trees.
If you are in a car, stop at the side of the road, away from lights, trees, billboards. Do not stop in tunnels, under wires and bridges.
If you live in a seismically active area and earthquakes periodically shake your homes, then you should prepare yourself and your loved ones for the possibility of a stronger earthquake. Determine in advance the safest areas in your apartment, take measures to strengthen your home, teach children how to behave if children are at home alone during tremors.
20% of the territory of Russia belongs to seismically active regions (including 5% of the territory is subject to extremely dangerous 8-10 magnitude earthquakes).
Over the past quarter century, about 30 significant earthquakes have occurred in Russia, that is, with a force of more than seven points on the Richter scale. 20 million people live in the zones of possible destructive earthquakes in Russia.
Residents of the Far East 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 transition area 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 the earthquakes in Russia occur, there are 30 active volcanoes, including such giants as Klyuchevskaya Sopka and Shiveluch. Here is the highest density of distribution of active volcanoes on Earth: for every 20 km of the coast - one volcano. Earthquakes here occur no less frequently than in Japan or Chile. Seismologists usually count at least 300 perceptible earthquakes per year. On the seismic zoning map of Russia, the regions 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 or even 9 points. Destruction may also be relevant. The most destructive earthquake measuring 9 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.
The seismically active regions of Russia also include Eastern Siberia, where 7-9-point zones are distinguished in the Baikal region, the 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 also holds a record: earthquakes often occur here with epicenters north of 70° N. latitude. As seismologists know, the main part of earthquakes on Earth occurs in the equatorial region and in middle latitudes, and in high latitudes such events are recorded extremely rarely. For example, on the Kola Peninsula, a wide variety of traces of earthquakes of great power were found - mostly quite old ones. The forms of the seismogenic relief discovered on the Kola Peninsula are similar to those observed in the zones of earthquakes with an intensity of 9-10 points.
Among other seismically active regions of Russia are the Caucasus, the spurs of the Carpathians, 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 noted here. Tsunami traces were also found on the Black Sea coast.
However, earthquakes can also occur in areas that cannot be called seismically active. September 21, 2004 in Kaliningrad recorded two series of tremors with a force of 4-5 points. The epicenter of the earthquake was located 40 kilometers southeast of Kaliningrad near the Russian-Polish border. According to the maps of the general seismic zoning of the territory of Russia, Kaliningrad region belongs to the seismically safe area. Here, the probability of exceeding the intensity of such shaking is about 1% for 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 magnitude of 3-4 points took place on March 4, 1977, on the night 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.
Few of the formidable natural phenomena can be compared in destructive power and danger with earthquakes. Their chronicle includes millions of victims, hundreds of dead cities and towns, damaged and destroyed structures.
During an earthquake, a person experiences discomfort, sometimes panic fear. The usual support, the earthly firmament under your feet suddenly begins to tremble, as if something alive, unstable. Chandeliers sway in houses, objects fall, walls crack, ceilings collapse, deep cracks open in the ground, sometimes the terrain changes noticeably, the appearance of rivers and lakes changes.
People have known about earthquakes for a long time. Fantastic stories about them are found in fairy tales and legends. So, in ancient America, the Quiche people had a legend about a rebellion of things that rebelled against man, about how houses collapsed by themselves and trees swayed without wind. There are frequent references to earthquakes in historical documents and chronicles. Russian chronicles, for example, report "shaking throughout the Russian land" in 1231 and in other years. True, underground strikes are not typical for the Russian Plain. Earthquakes are most common in mountainous or foothill areas.
For people and buildings, not only the vibrations of the earth themselves are dangerous. Often more formidable satellites of earthquakes - caused by them natural phenomena: destructive, ramming sea waves (tsunami), large landslides and collapses, failures of the earth's surface, mud-stone flows (mudflows). In 1755, a strong earthquake and the breaking waves that accompanied it destroyed the city of Lisbon. 50 thousand people died. This catastrophe shook Europe. Many people first thought about the mighty phenomenon of nature, scientists began to carefully study it. Many suggestions have been made about the causes of the earth's wobbles. M. V. Lomonosov, for example, referred to the power of heat that prevails "in the earth's womb." But despite all efforts, the causes of earthquakes remained a mystery.
Seismic instruments began to be used to observe the vibrations of the earth (in Greek, "seismos" - "earthquake"). It turned out that seismic waves are of two types: longitudinal and transverse.
Longitudinal waves propagate like waves on water. They are especially dangerous. They split buildings, shaking them so that even strong walls collapse.
In addition to longitudinal waves, transverse waves diverge from the earthquake source, acting on the principle of a spring or harmonic (compression and tension waves alternate). Sometimes they throw up the building. There were cases when, from tremors, people flew up so high that, falling, they were smashed to death. Fortunately, such powerful transverse wave shocks are very rare. Most often, their action is limited to damage to communications, buildings.
Earthquakes usually last a few seconds or minutes. In the vast majority of cases, they are weak and do no harm to people. Very weak earthquakes are imperceptible and recorded only by seismographs. The echoes of the strong ones roll over the entire globe and are recorded at many seismic stations located in different countries. Comparing the indicators of the stations and the characteristics of the waves, scientists can judge the structure of the deep interior of the earth, detect layers of different densities, hotbeds of molten magma, etc. Every year, thousands of weak shocks occur on Earth, hundreds of tangible ones, dozens of strong ones, and one catastrophic one on average.
The place where underground shocks occur is called the focus of an earthquake. Its central part is the hypocenter; a point on the Earth's surface above the hypocenter is the epicenter ("hypo" in Greek means "under", "epi" - "on"). The vast majority of earthquake sources are located within the lithosphere. With depth, their number sharply decreases. For example, in the Crimea they are located at depths from 5 to 40 km, mainly in the range of 15-30 km. In the Caucasus, earthquake sources are also shallow and in isolated cases reach 100 km, while in the Carpathians they extend to 200 km depths. The deepest centers (up to 600-700 km) are on the coasts of the Pacific Ocean.
If the center of tremors is located under the oceans (seas), then waves up to 20 m high are formed. They propagate at great speed (400-800 km / h) and sometimes cross, for example, the Pacific Ocean. Approaching the coast, they become steeper and higher, acquiring a terrible destructive force, destroying concrete coastal structures and throwing heavy steel ships onto land. In our country, similar waves (tsunamis) are sometimes observed on the Pacific coast. Exists special service warning, which registers the occurrence of seaquake centers and warns the inhabitants of the coast in advance about a possible danger. People have to leave their homes and climb higher ground to wait out the tsunami.
Earthquake prone areas are divided into the globe unevenly. To identify seismically active areas, earthquake epicenters are mapped. On such a seismic map, zones are distinguished where underground impacts are especially frequent: the coastal parts of the Pacific Ocean (Pacific Ring), the islands of Indonesia, mountain structures of Central and Asia Minor, as well as Southern Europe, Iceland and the Mid-Atlantic submarine ridge. Seismically active areas in our country: Carpathians, Crimea, Caucasus, middle Asia, Baikal, Transbaikalia, Kamchatka, Kuril Islands. Earthquakes of insignificant strength are also observed in many other areas. In seismically active areas there are aseismic areas where there are practically no earthquakes.
To identify particularly dangerous areas, seismic maps are plotted with isosey lines connecting points (epicenters) where earthquakes of the same magnitude occur.
Evaluation of the strength of underground shocks is carried out in two ways. The energy of earthquakes is determined, or the relative displacement from particle impacts on the earth's surface (magnitude). At the same time, there are scale tables showing the destructive power of earthquakes. Here is one of them:
Points general characteristics external effect
1 Inconspicuous Soil vibrations, noted only by instruments
2 Very weak Barely felt by people who are in a calm state
3 Weak Fluctuations are noted by few people
4 Moderate Earthquake is noted by many people; glass rattle
5 Quite a lot of sleepers wake up-strongly wake up; chandeliers sway, etc.
6 Strong Light damage to buildings, thin cracks in plaster
7 Very strong Cracks in the walls, chipping off pieces of plaster
8 Destructive Fall of cornices, chimneys
9 Devastating Collapse of walls, ceilings, roofs of some buildings
10 Destroying Destruction of many buildings; cracks in soil up to 1 m wide
11 Catastrophe Numerous large cracks on the earth's surface, big collapses in the mountains
12 Strong Significant changes disaster relief
The destructive effect of an earthquake depends largely on the quality of structures (there is a special art of anti-seismic construction), as well as on many other reasons. Loose or clayey soils exacerbate the force of underground impacts, while rocky and frozen ones, on the contrary, reduce it. It also matters where the seismic wave came from (walls elongated in the direction of the wave are destroyed especially often), as well as the quality of soils, tectonic faults in the earth's crust, and the depth of groundwater.
The question of the causes of earthquakes does not have a complete and final answer. Scholars have different opinions. The connection of seismic activity with the movements of the earth's crust is unconditional. Underground impacts are observed in areas of lithosphere extension (for example, in the Baikal zone or in the San Francisco area, in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge). They are also frequent where individual sections (blocks) of the cortex move vertically.
Earthquakes are caused by tectonic forces that move the earth's firmament, discharging their energy relatively shallow from the surface. durable rocks resist these forces. At the moment when the tensile strength of the rocks is reached, they crack, split, and collapse. The echoes of these mighty processes reach the earth's surface in the form of earthquakes. Sometimes the movements of individual sections of the "split" earth's crust can be observed from changes in the relief (the formation of ledges, ruptures of terraces, etc.).
Over the past decades, a new factor has appeared among the causes of earthquakes: human geological activity. Moving huge masses of soil during the development of minerals, conducting underground nuclear explosions, creating large reservoirs, which, with their weight, put pressure on individual blocks of the earth's crust, pumping into the bowels or extracting a large number of water, oil or gas, a person, unwittingly, can cause underground shocks (usually of small force and on shallow depths). Sometimes it even led to catastrophic consequences. For example, in India, Greece, Turkey, dams were destroyed in areas where earthquakes were not observed before the creation of reservoirs.
Such cases indicate that it is possible not only to artificially cause earthquakes, but, most importantly, to use them to combat catastrophic tremors by relieving stress from individual blocks of the earth's crust or by some other means. Perhaps someday in the future, man will learn to use seismic energy.
Earthquakes in Russia are a fairly common phenomenon. Of course, for residents of megacities and the central strip, this is rather an unfamiliar concept, but in other areas, in cities, events are held annually to help people respond correctly in the event of such a disaster. For example, in Tuva there was an earthquake of magnitude 3.2 at the end of 2011, and to this day seismic activity in the area does not stop.
Residents of the city are familiar with safety firsthand and know very well how to behave in such situations, but this does not detract from constant stress, which is experienced by the population, fearing for their lives and the safety of their loved ones.
What is an earthquake
Speaking in an understandable language, these are fluctuations in the surface of the Earth, which are mainly caused by the natural forces of nature. We will not consider such artificial incentives as large explosions and other technical processes.
In terms of their destructiveness, earthquakes occupy a leading position. In the history of mankind there are many examples of the destructive power of nature. Billions of victims around the world and consequences that completely disrupted the entire infrastructure of cities and even entire countries. Earthquakes do not usually occur in mountainous areas, at the junction The leaders in the rating of those affected by such disasters, of course, can be identified Kamchatka, Altai, the Caucasus and Eastern Siberia. Of course, this is not the whole list. settlements subject to earth tremors. In some cities, seismic activity is periodically observed, but for residents these phenomena remain invisible.
Types of earthquakes
To date, experts distinguish three types of earthquakes:
- Volcanic - volcanic eruptions.
- Artificial earthquakes - strong explosions, entailing shifts of underground plates.
- Technogenic - shocks that are caused by the processes of human life.
How an earthquake is measured
Tremors are measured by a special device - a seismograph, which not only measures the power of tremors with extreme accuracy, but also predicts how strong the plates will be.
There is a generally accepted world scale, which consists of 12 points:
1 point An almost imperceptible earthquake, since the shaking of the ground is a minimum that cannot be felt.
2 points. A rather weak phenomenon that can only be felt while being in a calm environment. Only a few people are able to feel it.
3 points. A weak earthquake, manifested by vibrations that are more noticeable to others.
4 points. Moderate phenomenon, noticeable to all people.
5 points. A strong enough earthquake that provokes the movement of objects in the room.
6 points (strong). From fairly strong shocks, buildings can be slightly damaged.
7 points. A very strong earthquake, bringing more destruction to buildings.
8 points. A destructive phenomenon that can destroy even the most powerful structures.
9 points. Disastrous earthquake. Strong landslides occur in the mountains, and people in the cities cannot stand on their feet.
10 points. Destroying earthquakes can lead to the complete destruction of a settlement, turning everything in its path into ruins, including roads and all kinds of communications.
11 points. Catastrophe.
12 points. A severe disaster, in which it is impossible to survive. The relief changes completely, the strongest splits are observed, huge depressions, craters and much more appear.
Causes of earthquakes
Large earthquakes in Russia and elsewhere in the world occur due to collision For example, in the Caucasus there is the Arabian Plate, which gradually moves north towards the Eurasian Plate, which, in turn, periodically collides with the Pacific Plate located in Kamchatka. Speaking of the Kamchatka Territory, earthquakes in this area are also influenced by volcanic activity, during which quite strong tremors are observed.
Earthquake signs
Throughout the history of such phenomena, scientists have been able to identify the main signs of an incipient disaster. Earthquakes in Russia usually started after the following things:
What earthquakes were in Russia
Russia has suffered more than once from, among other things, from the strongest earthquakes. The landscape of our country is large and varied, just like climatic zones. Seismically active areas are located mainly on the territory of Sakhalin and the Kamchatka Territory.
Sakhalin
On May 28, 1995, the settlement of Neftegorsk was destroyed on Sakhalin. On a scale, the power of the elements was 7.5 points and 10 points at the epicenter of the earthquake. In a matter of hours, Sakhalin Neftegorsk, which at that time had 3,200 inhabitants, was simply wiped off the surface of the earth. After the disaster, only 400 people survived, 150 of whom subsequently died in hospitals from their injuries. This is the last earthquake in Russia of such power, which has become truly the most tragic event not only for Sakhalin, but for the whole country.
As eyewitnesses later recalled, real horror was not during the earthquake itself, but after. Many victims were buried under the ruins of their own houses and gradually suffocated in great agony.
The surviving residents of the village left for the mainland and tried to start life "after the earthquake." This catastrophe has become the strongest in the last 100 years. In the last century, in 1952, a tsunami occurred on Sakhalin, caused by an earthquake in pacific ocean, which demolished the city of Severo-Kurilsk from the face of the earth.
Kamchatka
Earthquakes in Russia for the most part fall on Kamchatka Krai. In the center of the Klyuchevskaya group of volcanoes is Bezymyannaya Sopka, 3085 meters high. It was she who has always been considered for a long time extinct volcano, so the earthquake that began in the morning of 1955 was a complete surprise.
The Klyuchi volcanic station, located 45 kilometers from the volcanoes, recorded huge puffs of white smoke. A few days later, the height of volcanic eruptions was already more than eight kilometers.
Throughout November, residents of the region observed strong blows lightning, and the surface of the earth was completely covered with ash. In less than 29 days, the volcanic crater expanded by 550 meters. Unfortunately, this was only preparation for the disaster that occurred on March 30, 1956. Such earthquakes in Russia were not new, so no one was evacuated in the hope that the awakened volcano would subside, especially after its activity decreased in late November.
In 1956, the pressure in the volcano reached a critical point. Within 15 minutes, the giant erupted a huge column of fire, which leaned to the east at an angle of 30 degrees. Reaching a height of 24 kilometers, this column of fire and black smoke literally covered the sky. At 20 kilometers from the volcano, the trees were either uprooted or burned at lightning speed. The thickness of hot sand and lava that fell from the sky made the snow melt quickly. The most powerful mud streams rushed down, dragging fragments of rocks and stones with them, demolishing everything in their path.
The base of volcanologists was literally wiped off the face of the earth, fortunately, there were no scientists there at that time. Professor Gorshkov said that if this stream rushed in a different direction, then the entire populated area would be destroyed and would be included in the saddest examples of earthquakes in Russia.
Kamchatka is the most dangerous region, not even because there are a large number of volcanoes on its territory, but because in the event of a catastrophe, most of the inhabitants will literally remain locked in surrounded by mountains.
Tuva
In 2012, a 3.2 magnitude earthquake was recorded near Kyzyl. This phenomenon began at 7:30 am. Since the elements were not so strong, there were no casualties.
Earthquake statistics in Russia include an event that occurred in the same region on December 27, 2011, when its power was 9.5 in the epicenter and 6.7 in other areas. Seismic activity continued until the end of February 2012, when a shock of magnitude 6.5 occurred. Fortunately, the epicenter was located at a distance of more than 100 kilometers from settlements. Nevertheless, the shocks were felt in the territory of Buryatia, the Irkutsk region, as well as in Khakassia and the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The earthquake map in Russia contains all the main regions most prone to seismic activity, including Kyzyl.
In addition, specialists update all data monthly. Rocks are sampled and carefully studied. Based on these studies, volcanologists can roughly predict in which areas such phenomena are possible.