Earthquakes

Earthquakes are caused when rock underground breaks along a fault. This energy causes the seismic waves that make the ground shake. When one rubs things together they tend to stick, so when two blocks of rock or two plates are rubbing against each other, they will stick a little. The sliding process is not smooth; the rocks catch on each other. The rocks are still pushing against each other, but not moving. The rocks break because of all the pressure. With the pressure comes the earthquake. During the earthquake all that the blocks of rocks or plates are doing is find a place where they can be stuck to each other again. The spot underground where the rock breaks is called the focus of the earthquake. The place right above the focus (on top of the ground) is called the epicenter of the earthquake. Earthquake-like seismic waves can also be caused by explosions underground. These explosions, however, don't cause very strong seismic waves. Sometimes seismic waves occur when the roof or walls of a mine collapse.

Funny thing about earthquakes for me back in Newport Beach, California there were not many earthquakes as one feels here in Arizona. I recall having the neighbors’ house being remodel and the street felt like an earthquake. Being on the second floor the movement of the ground was stronger. So what is the first thing one should do? Go under a table or bed in my case. It was so much fun just knowing that I knew what to do in this type of issues of the environment. In the three years here in Somerton I have been in two earthquakes this year. The first one, I was at work with my mother and the fans and frames in the reception area moved. Outside the cars that were parked moved about half a foot. As everybody knows an earthquakes consist of aftershocks. Well after that the mini after shocks were felt able.   On Easter Sunday, an earthquake well known that the most disaster was done in Mexicali was something different I have felt in my nineteen years of life. At around four o’clock the ground started to shake. The trees would lean back and forth. At the time of the earth quake I was at a picnic with my church and we were jumping rope. To be honest I thought it was all the weight of my friends jumping the rope that was moving the ground.  So being outside the earthquake is not so bad.