• Key Information

  • Earthquakes

  • Type
    Tectonic Earthquakes
  • Area
    Primarily along fault lines and tectonic plate boundaries
  • Effect
    From unnoticeable to destruction of buildings and infrastructure
  • Learning Point
  • Earthquakes have many causes, and affect all of us to varying degrees. The largest and most devastating generally happen around the edges of the tectonic plates of our planet, or along fault lines in the surface. These are called tectonic earthquakes.
  • Project
  • Draw a picture of a city or town being affected by an earthquake.
  • Media
  • Location
  • Located in
    Worldwide, along fault lines and plate boundaries
  • Fun Facts
  • Earthquakes can also be called "quakes", "tremors" and "temblors".
  • The most deadly earthquake is thought to have happened in Shaanxi in 1556, when more than 100,000 dying as a result of the earthquake, and 730,000 migrating away or dying as a result of famine and plagues caused by the quake.
  • Since 1914, the most deadly earthquake is the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, which likely killed at least 300,000 people.
  • The most powerful earthquake was 1960 Chilean or Valdiva earthquake which was calculated to have been between 9.4 and 9.6 on the Richter scale.