• Question: why after earthquakes, there are aftershocks?

    Asked by dduuaainnee to Jamie, Jodie, Kat, Mark, Niamh on 22 Mar 2011 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Mark Hill

      Mark Hill answered on 22 Mar 2011:

      Hello Dduuaainnee,

      I think that this is more a question for our resident geophysicist, Jamie. I’m sorry.

      Mark.

    • Photo: Jamie Pringle

      Jamie Pringle answered on 22 Mar 2011:

      Hello again,

      This is one that I can answer! Thanks Mark.

      As you probably know, the earth surface is split into a number of plates, rather like massive jigsaw pieces, and they move around the earth (very slowly!). As they move against each other, rock friction tends to make them move in jerks, pressure grows on the edge and eventually they suddenly move (such as the one in Japan).

      Once the initial move has happened, you then get further, smaller movements on the line of the edge of the plate as pressure and stress/strain are redistributed along the edge, which is what aftershocks are.

      See this website for further information about earthquakes and the Japanese one in detail: http://www.bgs.ac.uk/research/highlights/earthquakes/honshuMarch2011.html

    • Photo: Niamh Nic Daeid

      Niamh Nic Daeid answered on 22 Mar 2011:

      HI again

      I think this is a Jamie question, he can tell you far better than me !

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