The Origin of Earthquakes

Mr. Sanchez ELA Period two Chose grade level 30 January 2018 How Earthquakes Take place? Parts of an Earthquake? Earthquakes happen when two pieces of Earth all of the sudden slip previous each and every other. The surfaces that slip previous every single other are referred to as fault line or fault plane. An earthquake begins in the hypocenter, which is positioned beneath Earth’s surface. Appropriate above Earth’s surface is the epicenter. Sometimes big earthquakes have a foreshock.

Foreshocks are earthquakes that are smaller than the mainshock that happen right after a larger earthquake in the identical spot. The larger earthquakes are referred to as a mainshock. Aftershocks usually happen following a mainshock. Foreshocks and aftershocks are the exact same point. Aftershock can final for week,months, or maybe even years based on the mainshock. Fault Line-A single fault line is the San Andreas fault line.

The San Andreas fault is a sliding boundary between the Pacific Plate and Northern America Plate. The fault line slices California in two from Cape Mendocino to the Mexican border. San Diego, Los Angeles and Huge Sur are on the Pacific Plate. San Francisco, Sacramento and the Sierra Nevada are all on the North American Plate. Besides the San Francisco legendary earthquake in 1906, the San Andreas fault line does not run by way of the city. Desert Hot Springs, San Bernardino, Wrightwood, Palmdale, Gorman, Frazier Park, Daly City, Point Reyes Station and Bodega Bay all lie on the fault line.



The San Andreas fault is a transform fault. A transform fault is a strike-slip fault that is a boundary amongst two plates of earth’s crust. Causes of an Earthquake Earthquakes are caused by faulting, which is a a sudden rock movement that happens along a rupture or break surface.