Earthquakes are surface vibrations and tremors that can be caused by a wide variety of reasons. Most earthquakes remain invisible and occur without any significant consequences.
The causes of earthquakes are divided into two main groups: natural and artificial. The first group includes tremors that have arisen without the intervention of the human factor. There are three main reasons for the occurrence of natural earthquakes. The first type includes the so-called failure earthquakes. The main reason for their occurrence is the activity of groundwater. Over time, water erodes specific areas below the earth's surface. When the erosion area becomes large enough, the upper layers fall into the resulting cavity. Such earthquakes are local in nature and most often do not harm various structures. The second type includes volcanic earthquakes. They are usually caused by a sudden release of natural gas that has accumulated in the bowels of the volcano. Sometimes the eruption is accompanied by landslide earthquakes, the cause of which is the cavity formed as a result of the release of magma. Most often, tectonic earthquakes occur on our planet. This type is the most destructive and sometimes causes enormous damage to structures. Tectonic tremors are caused by shifts in the crustal plates. The causes of man-made earthquakes can be strong explosions and filling of reservoirs. Statistics show that man-made earthquakes are the least dangerous for people. The main characteristic of an earthquake is its magnitude. It is determined on a twelve-point scale. It should be noted that in those places where tremors occur relatively often, they prefer not to erect high-rise buildings and relatively unstable structures.
