It is commonly believed that earthquakes are more frequent in certain types of weather. In fact, there is no relationship between weather and earthquakes. Earthquakes occur many miles below the Earth’s weather zone. Here are 10 myths you should know about earthquakes.
Myth 1: You need to take cover under the door when an earthquake strikes
This is very old advice. In previous earthquake experiences, the door frame was the only thing that would stand in the aftermath of the disaster, because the building structures in the houses were unsupported and the houses were made of bricks, so it was believed that the entrances were the safest places in the house.
If you’re home during an earthquake and you’re looking to get to safety, don’t take shelter in a doorframe. Doors are no safer than anywhere else in the house. On the contrary, a person can be safer if he follows the maneuver of “rolling, covering and staying” under a sturdy or sturdy piece of furniture such as a desk or table.
Myth 2: We can stop earthquakes
We cannot prevent or stop earthquakes once they start. What we can do is mitigate their effects in the aftermath of their occurrence as much as possible, by building safer structures, taking preventive measures, and identifying earthquake faults and lands prone to slipping or shifting during strong tremors.
Myth 3: Earthquake fault lines open hard enough to swallow people and buildings
One common thing that a number of people believe in and fear is the Giant Rift, a rift wide enough for skyscrapers and people to fall into. Giant chasms like this only exist in books, movies, and TV shows.
When an earthquake occurs, the earth moves across the fault, not away from it. If the fault could open wide, then no friction would occur, and therefore no earthquakes. Shallow faults can form during landslides caused by an earthquake or other types of tremors. However, faults do not open during an earthquake.
Myth 4: If the first few seconds of an earthquake are not strong, there is no reason to run for safety
The initial tremor of an earthquake is not an indication of its potential full strength. It is widely advised that when you start to feel any vibration to hide and take cover.
Myth 5: Earthquakes happen when the weather is hot and dry
It is commonly believed that earthquakes are more frequent in certain types of weather. In fact, there is no relationship between weather and earthquakes. Earthquakes occur many miles below the weathered zone on Earth’s surface.
Every region or place in the world has a weather story associated with earthquakes, and the type of weather is what people remember when an earthquake strikes.
Myth 6: Strong earthquakes always strike early in the morning
Earthquakes can strike at any time throughout the day. For example, the 1940 Imperial Valley earthquake occurred at 9:36 PM, and the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake occurred at 5:02 PM.
People who talk about time or a weather myth tend to remember earthquakes that fit the pattern and forget earthquakes that don’t.
Myth 7: Aftershocks are less dangerous
For some reason, the aftershock is apparently somehow a less serious event. Nevertheless, many indications indicate that the aftershock may not differ in terms of intensity and size from the main earthquake. The vibration and level of energy released are the same, aftershocks are also likely to be more deadly than the main ones.
Researchers have recently shown that an earthquake and its aftershock can cause larger aftershocks, so it is possible that a single earthquake can act as both an aftershock and a harbinger, blurring the differences between them.
Myth 8: You should run outside if you are inside a building at the time of the earthquake
If you are inside the building, stay put under sturdy furniture until the shaking from the earthquake stops. Once you are sure that it is safe to move in and out, you can evacuate the building you are in. Research shows that most injuries occur when people move inside or try to get out of a building when an earthquake strikes.
Myth 9: Animals can sense earthquakes before they happen
Despite numerous reports and eyewitness accounts over the years, it cannot be determined whether the animal’s behavior was in response to an expected earthquake.
Although it has been observed that animals such as dogs can sense the early stages of an earthquake before humans, there is no concrete evidence yet to support the idea that animals can predict earthquakes.
Myth 10: Large earthquakes are possible
Theoretically, massive earthquakes of 10 or more are possible, yet experts agree that they are implausible. The magnitude of an earthquake is related to the length of the fault in which it occurs. The longer the fault, the stronger the earthquake.
For example, the San Andreas fault is only 800 miles long, and generating a magnitude 10.5 earthquake would require rupturing a fault several times that fault’s length. It is known that no fault is long enough to generate an earthquake of magnitude 10.5 on the Richter scale.
The largest earthquake ever recorded was a 9.5-magnitude earthquake on May 22, 1960 in Chile, caused by a fault nearly 1,000 miles long.
(function(d, s, id) {
var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
if (d.getElementById(id)) return;
js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;
js.src = “//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.4”;
fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’));
