Duggleby Weather Station

An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time.

Earthquakes are measured using observations from seismometers. The moment magnitude (or the partly obsolete Richter magnitude, numerically similar over the range of validity of the Richter scale) of an earthquake is conventionally reported, with magnitude 3 or lower earthquakes being mostly almost imperceptible and magnitude 7 and over potentially causing serious damage over large areas, depending on their depth.

The largest earthquakes in historic times have been of magnitude slightly over 9, although there is no limit to the possible magnitude. The most recent large earthquake of magnitude 9.0 or larger was a 9.0 magnitude earthquake in Japan in 2011 (as of March 2011), and it was the largest Japanese earthquake since records began. Intensity of shaking is measured on the modified Mercalli scale. The shallower an earthquake, the more damage to structures it causes, all else being equal.

Earthquakes around the World in the last 7 Days