The earthquake that shook the center of the Iberian Peninsula today can make us doubt what it really is and how this meteorological phenomenon occurs that so many times has been the protagonist of the news.
Step into the eye of the earthquake with me to learn more about it.
What is it?
Earthquakes are a phenomenon caused by a shaking of the earth's crust due to the friction of tectonic plates that, although invisible, shape the surface of our planet. Wherever there is an edge of a plate you can find from a mountain range, to what is known as faults, which is something that happens when two plates are separated. The best known case is in North America, where the San Andrés fault is located.
These places register the most devastating earthquakes, even reaching to have an intensity of 7.2 on the Richter scale. And speaking of scales ...
How are earthquakes measured?
Although the best known scale is that of Judge which only measures the magnitude of the phenomenon, experts also use the Mercalli scale to measure the consequences on the environment, and the seismological scale at the moment to assess the stiffness of the rock and the distance it has traveled.
On this map you can see the intensity that earthquakes can have if they touch the Spanish soil according to the Richter scale, that is to say that:
- Intensity of 3 or less: it is not usually felt, but it is recorded in the same way. It does not usually cause noticeable damage.
- Intensity from 3 to 6: it shows. It may cause minor damage.
- Intensity 6 to 7: They can cause serious damage to entire cities.
- Intensity 7 to 8: Damage is much more important. It can devastate an area of more than 150km.
Earthquakes above 8 degrees can cause significant material losses in an area of several km. But there is no record of reaching such magnitude in our country.