Do bigger earthquakes last longer?

It starts at a point and then the rupture propagates along the fault at around 2 kilometers or so per second. So the larger the area of the fault that ruptures, the longer the duration of the earthquake.

usgs.gov - What was the duration of the earthquake? Why don't you report ...

What is the most loved console?

*PlayStation 2 remains the best-selling video game console of all time. Sony's beloved system tops Nintendo DS by roughly 5 million units sold,...

Last updated Sep 6, 2021

Can you boil lake water and drink it?

Never drink water from a natural source that you haven't purified, even if the water looks clean. Water in a stream, river or lake may look clean,...

Last updated May 27, 2019

Promotion

The duration of an earthquake is related to its magnitude but not in a perfectly strict sense. There are two ways to think about the duration of an earthquake. The first is the length of time it takes for the fault to rupture and the second is the length of time shaking is felt at any given point (e.g. when someone says "I felt it shake for 10 seconds" they are making a statement about the duration of shaking). The duration of fault rupture is related to both how long it takes for a spot on the fault to slip (which seems to be quite fast) and the time it takes rupture to proceed along a fault. You have to think of an earthquake as an area on a fault rather than just a point. It starts at a point and then the rupture propagates along the fault at around 2 kilometers or so per second. So the larger the area of the fault that ruptures, the longer the duration of the earthquake. And larger magnitude earthquakes have larger fault areas. So there is a general relationship between duration and magnitude. The reason we don't list this sort of duration on the Latest Earthquake website is that figuring out how long an earthquake took to rupture is still a research project that takes some time rather than an automated process. The duration of shaking at a point on the ground depends on how long the earthquake took to occur and how the waves move through the ground to that point. If there are a lot of reflections and resonances near the point (for instance in a sedimentary valley), the shaking will last longer. In an area without resonances (for instance on a hard block of rock), it will last a shorter time. You must also specify a duration of shaking over a given level. We can actually detect the shaking from the very largest earthquakes for weeks after they occur, but no one would say that they felt it for that long. So the duration of shaking is a very complex topic. We actually do use the duration of shaking to estimate the magnitude for some small earthquakes. If you see a "Md" or "duration magnitude" on the Latest Earthquake webpages, this is what has been done. For an explanation see Magnitude. This is much like having someone yell, counting the echos, and then estimating how loud they yelled from how many echos you could hear. Finally, the damage to a given structure will depend both on the amplitude of the shaking and its duration. How to best combine these quantities into an estimate of the amount of damage is ongoing research.

Learn more:

What vitamins slow down aging?

In addition to following a healthy diet and lifestyle, taking certain supplements may help slow the aging process and promote a long, healthy life....

Last updated Mar 17, 2020

What food burns belly fat the fastest?

Best Foods For Weight Loss: Pumpkin. Pumpkin makes it onto this list of the 32 foods that burn belly fat fast due to its high amounts of fiber and...

Last updated Jan 9, 2020

Promotion

Can humans cause earthquakes?

Mining, dam building, and fracking are among the causes. And while we've long known that people can influence seismic activity, researchers were surprised to find that human activity has induced earthquakes with magnitudes as high as 7.9—and that the number of earthquakes is clearly rising in some regions of the world.

preventionweb.net - How humans are causing deadly earthquakes - PreventionWeb

Mining, dam building, and fracking are among the causes.

By Sarah Gibbens

A study published in the journal Seismological Research Letters this week identified 730 sites where human activity caused earthquakes over the past 150 years. And while we've long known that people can influence seismic activity, researchers were surprised to find that human activity has induced earthquakes with magnitudes as high as 7.9—and that the number of earthquakes is clearly rising in some regions of the world. Just like earthquakes caused by nature, human-induced earthquakes have the potential to be dangerous, even deadly. And geologists are only just beginning to understand the repercussions these quakes could have on people and the environment. The effects of human-induced earthquakes may be similar to those created by nature, but are often seen in regions with little or no previous seismic activity. Most natural earthquakes happen along fault lines, which are commonly (but not exclusively) found where tectonic plates converge. But earthquakes triggered by human activity can occur far from the edges of tectonic plates.

[...]

What are the 7 habits of millionaires?

If you want to get rich, here are seven “poverty habits” that handcuff people to a life of low income: Plan and set goals. Rich people are goal-...

Last updated May 20, 2021

Who used the first sniper?

The Whitworth rifle was arguably the first long-range sniper rifle in the world. A muzzleloader designed by Sir Joseph Whitworth, a prominent...

Last updated Jun 12, 2018

Promotion

What does an upside-down pineapple on your door mean?

On a cruise ship, the secret symbol of an upside-down pineapple is regularly used as a code for swinging or “wife-swapping”. In most cases, an...

Last updated Jan 25, 2019

Promotion

What is the cheapest food to survive on?

Canned foods are almost always cheaper than the fresh produce. ... Here's a shopping list of healthy but relatively cheap foods that you may want...

Last updated Oct 12, 2019