Earthquake Hazards: Fire, Tsunami, Landslide

Fire

• gas pipes broken by ground motion
  • electricity cables severed = sparks = fire
• water lines severed
  • hard to fight fire without water
• transportation lines severed (bridges collapse, roads blocked due to building collapse)
  • hard to fight the fire if firefighters can’t get there

Tsunami

• often caused by subduction zones earthquakes
• fault ruptures the seafloor and lift/drops the entire water column above the fault
  • not cause by seismic waves
• long wavelength (miles) = wall of water comes ashore
• impossible to outrun

Landslide

• earthquakes can trigger landslides
• the bigger the earthquake, the more likely there will be landslides
• landslides are important in mountainous areas

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