This April 21 again in the Mexico City a registered earthquake of low magnitude. However, it was enough for hundreds of residents of the capital to leave their homes and jobs in the face of the telluric movement. Due to the constant seismic activity that has occurred in recent days, since Mexico is located on one of the areas with the greatest movement of tectonic plates, we will tell you how many and what are the types of earthquakes what’s up.
This morning, at 10:39 a.m. sharp, the National Seismological reported a microseismlocated 3 kilometers northeast of Coyoacán, in CDMX, which had a magnitude of 1.8 degrees.
And despite the fact that it was of low intensity, inhabitants of the southern area of the capital of Mexico, as well as other neighborhoods and municipalities, reported on Twitter what happened in the place where they were at the time of the attack. shakingwhile other users of the social network asked what caused so much seismic activity, if it was normal, among other questions.
While these questions are cleared up and others arise, below we will explain why a earthquake and how many types existamong other relevant data.
What is an earthquake?
First we will explain what is an earthquake. As described by the National Seismological Servicea earthquake It is a vibration and breaking of the rocks inside the Earth, caused by the violent rupture and sudden release of the accumulated energy, which expands causing the terrain or soil to move abruptly.
And how does one originate? earthquake or what causes it? The mobility of the rocks causes friction to occur at the edges, where the plates make contact, preventing the displacement of one relative to the other. If these frictions between plates exceed the resistance of the rocks, that is when the violent rupture occurs.
One of the doubts that predominate among the inhabitants is how to define the magnitude of a shaking. It is related to the energy released in the form of seismic waves propagated through the ground, and to carry out its measurement, mathematical calculations are made based on records from seismographs from different stations. They measure the maximum amplitude of the waves and the distance to which the station is from the epicenter.
After obtaining these data, they are entered into a formula, which will tell us the magnitude of the earthquake.
Types of earthquakes and their characteristics
Now, after this definition of what an earthquake is, we will go on to explain how many and what are the types of earthquakes there are.
According to the National Seismological there are five types of tremors, according to their characteristics and impact:
tectonic earthquake
These are tremors caused by the displacement of tectonic plates that make up the crust, affecting large areas of soil and are the ones that cause the most damage on the surface.
volcanic earthquake
It occurs when there is a volcanic eruption, which causes large and intense shocks that mostly affect populations near the volcano. However, its field of action is usually reduced compared to those of tectonic origin.
landslide earthquake
Caused by the weight of the mountains that tends to generate intense forces, to the point of causing their flattening and producing earthquakes due to landslides, although they are not usually of great magnitude.
subsidence earthquake
It occurs when an erosion of groundwater occurs inside the crust, which leaves a void, causing the upper part of the crust to overlap. With this movement and fall of earth there are vibrations that give way to the earthquakes. Fortunately they are rare, as well as little expansion.
atomic explosions
They have to do with the actions carried out by the human being and that, strictly speaking, are not related to a seismic movement as such, but rather with the vibrations caused by explosions triggered by certain human activity.
Whether or not one can predict a earthquake is another of the most frequently asked questions. In this regard, the National Seismological Service affirms that, until today, there is no technique that allows them to be predicted. And since Mexico is located on one of the largest seismic and volcanic regions in the world, the Ring of Fire, as well as on top of the Cocos, Rivera and Pacific plates, the only thing that is recommended is to have preventive measures against a shaking.
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