Is an earthquake tougher than an erupting volcano?

Answer 1

Volcanoes are easier because enerally speaking, scientists can predict with a relatively good degree of certainty when a volcano will erupt. This is because most volcanoes follow a regular pattern of increasing seismic activity as the eruption approaches, usually in the form of small earthquakes. Earthquakes: On the other hand, earthquakes have proven to be notoriously difficult to predict because of the lack of regular patterns - sometimes they are preceded by a series of small earthquakes, and other times not. Scientists measure the severity of an earthquake on a (modified) Richter scale, where an increase of 1 unit represents 10 times more ground motion and 30 times more energy released. A magnitude 5 earthquake will be felt by most people in the vicinity, but do little damage to well-made buildings. A magnitude 7-8 earthquake will do major damage. No earthquake larger than a magnitude 9 has ever been recorded. The motion that this Richter scale measures is due to seismic waves that are generated at the center and subsequently travel through the Earth. Much like the use of radiation (electromagnetic waves) that are used in medicine to diagnose diseases, the way that these waves travel through the Earth can tell us a great deal of the structure of the inner Earth.

Answer 2

it depends, some earthquakes are very weak, in fact you can't even tell they are there! But some can destroy cities. As for volcanoes, it's also like that. Some just dribble out a little lava every now and then, while some (like Krakatau) can completely rip apart an island. I'd say that for the most part, earthquakes are the most dangerous, as they can trigger a volcanic eruption

Answer 3

As earthquakes occur when plates shift along a fault line and volcanoes erupt though breaks in the crust, it stands to reason that when a shift occurs along a fault line that it will make it easier for magma to find a passageway to the surface and allow a volcano to erupt.

The above is true on a global tectonic scale and there is indeed a strong correlation between convergent and divergent plate boundaries, seismic activity and earthquakes but it can not be used to predict volcanic eruptions. It is instead an indication of where volcanoes are likely to form. Please see the fallowing for an explanation of how earthquakes (more specifically microseismic activity) may be used to predict volcanic eruptions.

Seismicity is related to volcanic eruptions as the high pressure of the magma below Earth's surface the begins to build up before volcanic eruption can occur causes hydraulic fracturing of the rock mass surrounding the magma chamber.

The high pressure magma can also cause deformation of the crust leading to the formation of a visible bulge on earth's surface. This deformation will also be associated with seismicity.

As the magma migrates towards earth's surface in the period preceding an eruption, the depth within the earth where the hydraulic fracturing occurs (and hence the depth to the origin of the seismic waves) will decrease which can be measured using seismometers.

As such vulcanologists will use increases in seismic activity (suggesting an increase in the magma pressure) and changes in the location of the hypocentre of seismic activity (indicating that it is migrating towards the surface)to try to help predict how likely an eruption is to occur.

Answer 4

Because a seismogram and a seismometers predict and scale them

Answer 5

volcanos are easier to pridict because a volcano has only heat and other cemicils and earth has hills and water and it can rain any day