Consequences of Earthquakes
Geography: KS3, topic 11.3.2
Consequences of Earthquakes
The initial consequences of earthquakes are crustal fracturing and ground shaking. These can lead to other consequences, such as landslides and tsunamis.
Ground shaking
- Ground shaking can range in duration and severity based on the magnitude of the earthquake and the distance from the epicentre.
Crustal fracturing
- During crustal fracturing, the Earth can visibly separate and deep fissures in the ground can be created.
Landslides
- In mountainous areas, large landslides are a common secondary hazard.
- Developing countries (e.g. Nepal) struggle to recover from landslides because of their lack of infrastructure and resources.
Tsunamis
- Sub-marine earthquakes result in tsunamis, which can have devastating effects (e.g. the Boxing Day tsunami, 2004).
Test yourself on Consequences of Earthquakes
Which of the following regions are most likely to experience landslides as a result of earthquakes?