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The biggest earthquakes do not always cause the most damage if they strike unpopulated areas, or areas where the local infrastructure was built to withstand severe earthquakes. Also some big earthquakes may be high in intensity, but very short in duration, causing less damage.

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What causes more damage shallow or deep focus earthquakes?

Shallow-focus earthquakes cause more damage than deep-focus earthquakes. This is because shallow-focus earthquakes originate closer to the Earth's surface, which allows the energy to be more concentrated and lead to stronger shaking and more destruction of structures. Deep-focus earthquakes, occurring deeper underground, tend to have their energy dissipate before reaching the surface.


Why do lower magnitude earthquakes cause more damage than higher ones?

Earthquakes with lower magnitude can cause more damage than higher ranking earthquakes because sometimes the buildings are easier to break in some areas than others for example : an earthquake with a 6 on the richtor scale in Texas may do more damage than a 7 on the richtor scale in California.


Why are most earthquakes more destructive then others?

Earthquakes are divided into catagories like 1 to 5. 1 is the least damage, 2 is a little more damage, 3 is alot of damage, 4 is porbly one of the earthquakes that make most buildings fall, 5 earthquake is the worst of them all, everything is crumbled and smashed.


What does more damage tornadoes or earthquakes?

Overall, highly destructive earthquakes cause more damage than the worst tornadoes. Outside of the most destrcutive events, however, they must bes assessed on an individual scale. In both tornadoes and earthquakes, some are highly destructive while others cause minimal damage. Earthquakes do have more potential to cause damage as they cover larger areas while tornadoes cause very localized damage.It depends on the size of them. I would think possibly a tornado?an earthquake cause after the main earthquake hits which last for few seconds up to minutes property would be sometimes less damage but the aftershocks causes property to be more damage like houses being destroy more or buildings collapsed and they can also cause tsunamis and volcanoes and the damage of property would be high up in the billionsan tornado cause less damage cause even though their winds are high they can really still cause less damage like destroying houses completely and destroy buildings but not collapsed them or level them off their foundation and tornadoes dont do other secondary hazards even though after the first tornado to form a second tornado may appeared but still even if that happens tornadoes can still cause less damage and tornadoes go a straight path so they wont be able to destroy the whole city or county tornadoes can have moved more than a 100 miles but their straight path cause less damage


Why is it that earthquakes that cause the most damages have shallow focus?

Earthquakes with shallow focus, typically located less than 70 km below the Earth's surface, are more likely to cause significant damage because the seismic energy does not have to travel far to reach the surface, resulting in stronger shaking. Additionally, shallow earthquakes occur in the Earth's brittle crust where most people and infrastructure are located, increasing the potential for damage.

Related Questions

Do hurricanes or tornadoes cause more damage in the US each year?

hurricanes cause more damage they can also cause earthquakes and tsunamis


What causes more damage shallow or deep focus earthquakes?

Shallow-focus earthquakes cause more damage than deep-focus earthquakes. This is because shallow-focus earthquakes originate closer to the Earth's surface, which allows the energy to be more concentrated and lead to stronger shaking and more destruction of structures. Deep-focus earthquakes, occurring deeper underground, tend to have their energy dissipate before reaching the surface.


Why do lower magnitude earthquakes cause more damage than higher ones?

Earthquakes with lower magnitude can cause more damage than higher ranking earthquakes because sometimes the buildings are easier to break in some areas than others for example : an earthquake with a 6 on the richtor scale in Texas may do more damage than a 7 on the richtor scale in California.


Where should you not build a house because earthquakes could cause more damage?

near tectonic plates


Are earthquakes cause more damage near the epicenter?

Yes, earthquakes typically cause more severe damage near the epicenter because the energy released decreases as you move away from the epicenter. The intensity of shaking and resulting damage decreases with distance from the source.


Why are most earthquakes more destructive then others?

Earthquakes are divided into catagories like 1 to 5. 1 is the least damage, 2 is a little more damage, 3 is alot of damage, 4 is porbly one of the earthquakes that make most buildings fall, 5 earthquake is the worst of them all, everything is crumbled and smashed.


What does more damage tornadoes or earthquakes?

Overall, highly destructive earthquakes cause more damage than the worst tornadoes. Outside of the most destrcutive events, however, they must bes assessed on an individual scale. In both tornadoes and earthquakes, some are highly destructive while others cause minimal damage. Earthquakes do have more potential to cause damage as they cover larger areas while tornadoes cause very localized damage.It depends on the size of them. I would think possibly a tornado?an earthquake cause after the main earthquake hits which last for few seconds up to minutes property would be sometimes less damage but the aftershocks causes property to be more damage like houses being destroy more or buildings collapsed and they can also cause tsunamis and volcanoes and the damage of property would be high up in the billionsan tornado cause less damage cause even though their winds are high they can really still cause less damage like destroying houses completely and destroy buildings but not collapsed them or level them off their foundation and tornadoes dont do other secondary hazards even though after the first tornado to form a second tornado may appeared but still even if that happens tornadoes can still cause less damage and tornadoes go a straight path so they wont be able to destroy the whole city or county tornadoes can have moved more than a 100 miles but their straight path cause less damage


What is more destructive a big earthquake or many small earthquakes?

It depends on how big the earthquake is. A big earthquake will cause more damage to the area.


Do the Andes have more earthquakes or tornadoes?

The Andes are more prone to earthquakes as they are located at, and were in fact formed by, a subduction zone just to the west of South America. Tornadoes are more common in the interior and eastern parts of South America.


Why do some earthquakes affect countries more severely than others?

Because there are tectonic plates in our world and if you live on the boundaries of Australia you will. Have more earthquakes because the plates will rub and cause the earth to shake


Is an earthquake more severe than a tornado?

It depends as both earthquakes and tornadoes vary greatly in severity. Most earthquakes are so weak that the can't even be felt, only detected by sensitive instruments. Some tornado will cause little or no damage. However, the worst earthquakes are more destuctive than the worst tornadoes, as they can cause much more widespread damage.


Why is it that earthquakes that cause the most damages have shallow focus?

Earthquakes with shallow focus, typically located less than 70 km below the Earth's surface, are more likely to cause significant damage because the seismic energy does not have to travel far to reach the surface, resulting in stronger shaking. Additionally, shallow earthquakes occur in the Earth's brittle crust where most people and infrastructure are located, increasing the potential for damage.