5.4 magnitude earthquake struck magnitude quake jolts West Bengal, The epicenter reported to be in Bangladesh.

EARTHQUAKE

An earthquake happens when energy suddenly releases inside the Earth. This release causes strong shaking on the Earth’s surface. It usually occurs because the Earth’s crust moves.

The place where an earthquake starts is called the epicenter. People often feel the strongest shaking near this point.

The released energy travels through the Earth as seismic waves. Scientists measure these waves with instruments called seismographs.

Scientists also measure earthquake size by using the Richter scale or the Moment scale. Small earthquakes, below magnitude 3, are hard to feel. However, earthquakes above magnitude 7 can cause serious damage.

Another method is the Mercalli scale, created by Giuseppe Mercalli in 1902. This scale studies people’s experiences and building damage to estimate earthquake intensity.

Earthquakes produce three main types of waves: P waves, S waves, and L waves.
L waves cause most of the destruction. In contrast, scientists use P and S waves to study the Earth’s interior.

P waves travel the fastest, so they reach stations first. They are longitudinal waves, where particles move in the same direction as the wave. Like sound waves, P waves move through solids, liquids, and gases.

On the other hand, S waves travel more slowly. They are transverse waves, where particles move sideways. Unlike P waves, S waves move only through solids.

WHAT IS TSUNAMI AND EARTHQUAKE

READ: