My Reflection on Earthquakes

Causes of Earthquake

An earthquake is a shaking or trembling of the crust of the earth.
It is caused by underground volcanic action. It can also caused by the
breaking and shifting of rock beneath the surface.

What to do when there is an earthquake

In order to protect yourself during an earthquake, you must remember the following rules : “ Drop, Cover, and Hold On!”.

These rules help during quakes that cause furniture to move about rooms, and even in buildings that might ultimately collapse.

Dropping means go down on your hands and knees.

Covering means covering your head (and your body by being under a strong table if possible).

Holding means holding onto furniture (even if it is moving).

In cases where an earthquake is less violent, you might be able to move to a safer place (e.g. away from breaking windows, etc) as you drop to the floor, cover your head, and hold on to a solid object.

If you are trapped in a collapsed building :--

Do the following :-

- protect your airway against dust and debris.
This can be done by breathing through clothing or material (preferably a dust mask if one
has been stored near their desk, bed, or other accessible location).

- check yourself for injuries. If there is bleeding, control the bleeding.

- find a source of light if possible.

- make your location known to rescuers by tapping on a solid object with a rock or other
instrument.

- save your breath and energy. Delay yelling for help until you hear rescuers very nearby.

Can earthquakes be detected

Earthquakes can be detected but not predicted.
It is difficult for scientists to predict when large earthquakes will occur with any kind of reliability or precision needed to warn communities of impending disasters.

However, animals can predict earthquake. Some signs to watch out for:-

- catfishes moving violently
- chickens stop laying eggs
- bees leaving their hive in a panic
- Pet owners claimed to have witnessed their cats and dogs acting strangely before the ground
shook, barking or whining for no apparent reason.

Places where earthquakes occurred

Earthquakes have struck cities and countries such as Los Angeles, Alaska, California, Java, Mexico, Sumatra, Japan, Italy, Greece and the recently, China.

Why earthquakes occurred in those countries

Those countries experienced earthquakes because of their geological position which lie on the earthquake belt.

Earthquake and Singapore

Singapore will not experience any earthquake because its geological position does not lie on the earthquake belt.However, when Sumatra experience one, Singapore would experience a mild vibration.