What is the nature of ground movement during earthquakes? Read what you need to know about the seismic waves in earthquakes, their types, strengths and weaknesses.
Earthquakes are terrible natural disasters that occur due to movements in the tectonic plates. The ground moves due to the earthquakes. Since earthquakes can be gentle to violent, the ground movement can be marginal to devastating as a result. This moves the building vertically and horizontally, both of which creates considerable strain on the structure.
Of course, the exact magnitude of the shaking and shifting that a building experiences depends upon how far it is from the epicenter the the quake. Earthquakes create seismic waves that carry through the ground, and they weaken in power as they traverse the distance, finally getting completely absorbed.
The seismic waves travel faster through hard rock and slower through soft soil. However, when it transits from rock to soil, the strength of the wave increases. So, it really doesn’t matter whether you are on soft ground or hard - you will still be hit with considerable power, if you’re close to the center.
Understanding the nature of the waves generally occurring in a location gives rise to plans of how to combat it properly. This gives us knowledge and ways to construct a building properly so that common earthquakes cannot topple it.
There are different types of seismic waves, and they impact a structure differently. In general, they are broadly categorized into two seperate groups - body waves and surface waves.
