Have you ever wondered what would happen when an Earthquake occurs? Maybe even what you should do when it does happen?

Before we even start, let's go over what an Earthquake actually is.

An Earthquake is when the ground starts shaking fast and strong. 

Earthquakes can cause a lot of hazards because buildings might fall down which can harm people near those buildings.

What are tectonic plates and how are they related to Earthquakes?

Tectonic plates is like pieces of a broken plate. The earth is made of multiple tectonic plates that move around every day. 

The movement of the tectonic plates can cause earthquakes.

How exactly do Earthquakes work?

The part where 2 tectonic plates touch each other is called the fault line. The fault line can either be a divergent boundary, when the plates push away, convergent boundary, pushing into each other, or transform, sliding past each other.

If they shake a lot, it can cause earthquakes to happen.

The middle of the earthquake underground is called the focus point. the middle point of the earthquake above the ground is called the epicenter.

How do scientists know when earthquakes will happen?

Scientists will use a lot of things to see if an earthquake will happen and one of those things is called a Seismometer and its placed in the ground.

These devices see how tectonic plates are moving and scientists can see if the movement will cause earthquake or not.

How exactly do seismometers work?

Tectonic plates can send out strong waves that the Seismometer can read because the waves vibrate so much.

The Seismometer then changes the vibrations into electrical signals that can be sent to a machine called the seismograph that can help scientists how strong the shaking is. 

What should you do if you know a earthquakes gonna happen?

You should make sure you have food, a flashlight,  clothes, and other important stuff you need in case you something bad happens after the earthquake.

If you have friends or family, make sure they know what to do and meet up with them to make sure everyone is ready before the earthquake

What should you do when a earthquake happens

If an earthquake happens and you're inside, hide under a table, stay away from windows and cover your neck and head

If you're outside during the earthquake, stay away from buildings or anything tall because they might fall on you!