What causes the aftershock of an earthquake?

Answer 1

Aftershocks are smaller movements of the Earth's crust that occur after an earthquake. This is due to the settling of the disrupted soil along the fault line from the initial quake. The probability of aftershocks is measured using Omori's Law, which is a mathematical equation originally developed by Fusakichi Omori in the late 1800s.

Answer 2

Most earthquakes occur because of something we call plate tectonics. The earth's upper layer (crust) is made up of many plates, floathing on its surface. Many of these plates are touching, and usually rubbing against or being pushed under, their neighboring plates.

This constant geological activity causes energy to build-up between the plates. When a lot of energy is built up during two plates, which takes hundreds or thousands of years to accumulate, the energy can be released all at once in a earthquake. During the earthquake, the plates re-adjust themselves by one/both moving slightly. In the process, the earth in that area undergoes violent movement and displacement, and often fault lines/cracks form.

Most earthquakes do not release all of their energy during the main erruption. Over the next few days or weeks after a major earthquake, the earth continues fo shift (the plates never stop moving), and the residual energy still "trapped" is released as one or more smaller earthquakes. These are called aftershocks - but they really are just another earthquake - mini-earthquakes caused by the same pressures that created the original "main" earthquake - but just on a smaller scale. They occur in the same geographical vicinity as the original earthquake, always soon after the original one, and with much less intensity/magnitude. Thus the name "after-shock".

Answer 3

the plates that have just moved to create the first quake have to settle and in doing so create smaller but no less dangerous quakes called aftershocks.

There can be many episodes of ground-shaking movement in an earthquake caused by seismic waves. These are the energy waves that travel

outward from the source of the earthquake. These aftershocks are

actually smaller earthquakes, and they can cause damaged buildings to

collapse. The Kobe earthquake in Japan produced over 600 aftershocks.

Answer 4

An aftershock is a smaller earthquake that occurs after a previous large earthquake in the same area as the shock. Aftershocks are formed when the crust around the displaced fault plane adjusts to the effects of the main shock.

Answer 5

An aftershock occurs as a reaction to an Earthquake. Earthquakes disrupt the many structures found on Earth and to compensate for the disruption the structures will shake causing the aftershock.

Answer 6

There is a major strain between 2 of the earth's plates after an earthquake, and those 2 plates have edges that still need to adjust to their new positions. If they are unable to pass each other smoothly an aftershock will happen.

Answer 7

Aftershocks happen because when an earthquake occurs, the earth's plates barely ever settle into a stable position straight away.

Answer 8

They happen because once the earth gets really dirty the tectonics plates start to move.

Answer 9

An aftershock is a smaller earthquake that occurs after a previous large earthquake, in the same area of the main shock