Of all the naturally occurring events on Earth, earthquakes are among the most devastating and bring a lot of truth to the statement, “Just because something is natural does not mean it is not dangerous.” Earthquakes are one of the most natural things I can think of that can cause massive damage and loss of human live in many instances, and the effects are sometimes long term. “Nothing happens without a force. Many geophysicists accept the theory that continents move as a result of the forces generated by mantel convection deep within Earth – motions driven by our planet’s internal heat energy” (Trefil & Hazen, 2010). According to National Geographic (1996-2012), constant movement in the tectonic plates that make up the Earth’s …show more content…

Living in a red area it is also helpful to understand seismology and be aware of what size of earthquake may occur near the home. With knowledge of geology and seismology, the amount of shaking and damage can be predicted to prepare for the effects on larger buildings and areas. 7. According to USGS (April 2011) one of the two most recent destructive earthquakes was in the Haiti region where more than 316,000 people lost their lives, 300,000 were injured, and 1.3 million were displaced on January 12, 2010. The other was located in Easter Sichuan, China where more than 69,195 people lost their lives, 374,177 were injured, and 18,392 were missing and presumed dead on May 12, 2008. These large death numbers easily tell us how science cannot stop an earthquake from occurring. All science can do is try to get people prepared in the areas of high risk. The earthquake will come no matter what a person does, taking us back to how dangerous nature can really be. 8. The most important seismological tool would be the seismograph machine. “Scientists use the seismogram recordings made on the seismograph at the surface of the earth to determine how large the earthquake was” (Wald, 2009). This device is used to collect & record the vibrations of the Earth. Seismologists also use trucks, planes, helicopters, and even computers for experimental factors to record the