The 10 Consequences Of The Most Outstanding Earthquakes

The consequences of earthquakes

When talking about earthquakes, it is understood any telluric movement that arises through the movement produced in the earth’s faults, all coming from some movement in the tectonic plates.

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Earthquakes can occur in most of the earth’s space, and due to the characteristics of the terrain, there are places that are more likely to occur.

Small earthquakes are often called tremors, while larger ones are called earthquakes.

As the earth moves, earthquakes have devastating consequences for physical structures, which is why certain construction parameters are often required to prevent this from happening.

But the consequences of earthquakes can be seen in many ways, because it is a global phenomenon that affects different peoples equally.

Economic, social and environmental consequences of earthquakes

When an earthquake occurs, immediately a series of consequences of different magnitudes begin to arise, which will be directly related to the characteristics of the telluric movement.

Economic consequences

1- Destruction of industries and factories

One of the major economic consequences of earthquakes is the eventual destruction of the physical plant of the industrial park of a certain place or region.

This brings large and innumerable economic losses, and is especially relevant if it is a factory that provides the region with basic inputs.

This situation, in addition to generating unemployment, can lead to a shortage of the products that this space provided.

The reconstruction of the place involves more economic expenses, which will last for a certain time.

2- Unemployment

An earthquake can be devastating to a city, and hundreds of businesses are likely to be destroyed, and with them many jobs.

For this reason, unemployment is one of the main economic consequences of earthquakes, because the local economy suffers and even the companies and businesses in general that remain open, may see their production of many things diminished, see their pocket tight and end up opting for downsizing.

This consequence can also generate population displacement.

4- Reconstruction of homes and buildings

When an earthquake strikes, it is extremely common for many houses and buildings to be affected.

In the worst case, these are completely destroyed, causing hundreds of deaths in their wake.

But after the tragedy occurs, one of the greatest economic expenses that occurs is due to the reconstruction of the real estate that was destroyed and the rehabilitation of those that were affected.

Many others remain uninhabitable, so they must be demolished and rebuilt, which generates extremely significant costs.

Social consequences

4- Increase in poverty

Inevitably, after an earthquake that causes the destruction of homes and jobs, the economic and social situation of families will be significantly affected, and this will generate an increase in poverty.

When this happens, all the evils inherent to it grow, among which are the lack of access to health and education, as well as a decrease in the quality and quantity of food purchased.

Socio-economic conditions deteriorate for long periods of time, and the recovery of higher status often takes a very long time.

5- Population displacement

This characteristic is very common, especially when a large earthquake occurs.

Losing home or work, on many occasions, a large part of the population of one city is forced to move to another in order to continue with their lives and seek new opportunities.

At the same time, this generates very important social consequences, since a new city will receive a large number of immigrants and another will lose a large part of its population, generally in the best years of its productive life.

6- Depopulation of places

When earthquakes are very strong, they can destroy an entire town.

Generally, this currently happens only in towns whose buildings are not equipped with anti-seismic elements and easily yield to earthquakes.

When a town is practically completely destroyed, the costs in human lives, and also the economic ones, multiply enormously.

7- Difficulty in access by transport

It is quite frequent that when earthquakes occur, one of the elements that is blocked more quickly are the access roads to the place.

This can be mainly due to landslides that can occur in neighboring mountains and block access by roads.

In less serious cases, the transport systems simply stop operating, either due to failures that can be caused in the tracks such as trains, or because there are no economic possibilities to continue operating normally.

Environmental consequences

8- Tidal waves or tsunamis

If an earthquake of any considerable magnitude originated in an area near the sea, it is most likely that a tsunami warning will be raised .

Tsunamis come in the form of waves tens of meters high that flood large coastal areas, causing chaos and destruction wherever they pass.

If the earthquake was of a very strong scale magnitude, there is a greater chance that a tsunami could occur. The characteristics of the sea in which it occurs also depend on this.

9- Replicas

It is one of the best known consequences of earthquakes. Immediately after any of them occurs, a series of telluric movements of different magnitudes begin to take place, which are generally less intense than the initial earthquake.

These aftershocks can also generate damage, but they already have a forecast and the contingency should work much better.

10- Changes in the surface

The changes generated by earthquakes are radical, for people’s lives and also for the environment.

Due to the magnitude of the same, physical changes can be caused by the collapse of a certain natural element that can directly affect and affect the climate or the relief of the place.


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