• Question: how does a aftershok happen

    Asked by garykid22 to Jamie, Jodie, Kat, Mark, Niamh on 17 Mar 2011 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Jamie Pringle

      Jamie Pringle answered on 14 Mar 2011:

      Hello garykid22,

      After the main earthquake, which in the recent Japan case was a physical movement of two plates against another at one point, there are then a succession of smaller movements (termed aftershocks) along the weak zone (usually a fault), where there is a redistribution of the released stress and strain of the earthquake.

      See this link for further info: http://www.bgs.ac.uk/research/highlights/earthquakes/honshuMarch2011.html

    • Photo: Niamh Nic Daeid

      Niamh Nic Daeid answered on 15 Mar 2011:

      Hi Gary – I think Jamie has given you a much better answer than I could 🙂

    • Photo: Mark Hill

      Mark Hill answered on 15 Mar 2011:

      Hello Garykid,

      I really think that Jamie might be better off answering this one. However, I would imagine you would need to decide what is an aftershock and what is a separate earthquake. I would imagine it is down to timing and severity. Sorry that I can’t help much.

      Mark

    • Photo: Jodie Dunnett

      Jodie Dunnett answered on 17 Mar 2011:

      This is not my area so I don’t completely know but my best guess would be that an aftershock is caused as a result of the plates continuing to move around even after the main quake has occurred.

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