noun
definition
A shaking of the ground, caused by volcanic activity or movement around geologic faults.
definition
(planetary geology) Such a quake specifically occurring on the planet Earth, as opposed to other celestial bodies.
Examples of earthquake in a Sentence
The city was almost totally destroyed by an earthquake in 1766, and again in 1797.
The earthquake grew more intense.
Palo Alto suffered severely in the earthquake of 1906.
In 1894 the town suffered from an earthquake, though less severely than in 1783.
The city was almost totally destroyed by the great earthquake of 1812.
Meanwhile there had been a frightful earthquake in 1822, and a visitation of cholera in the following year.
The city was completely destroyed and partly submerged by the great earthquake of the 28th of October 1746, in which about 6000 persons perished.
It was the centre of a remarkable earthquake on the 9th of June 1887.
All of them have fallen, undoubtedly owing to an earthquake.
An earthquake in 1785 was in 1799 followed by the much more disastrous pillage of Rieti by the papal troops for a space of fourteen days.
The outbreak was preceded byan earthquake of some severity, after which about 20 explosions took place.
In 1208 most of the town was destroyed by an earthquake.
It was totally destroyed, however, by the great earthquake of December 1908; in the centre of the town about 35,000 out of 40,000 persons perished.
The earthquake occurred early in the morning of December 28, and so far as Messina was concerned the damage was done chiefly by the shock and by the fires which broke out afterwards; the seismic wave which followed was comparatively innocuous.
Earthquake shocks are numerous, and Colima was in violent eruption in 1908-1909.
The flower moved as if caught in a breeze, not an earthquake.
This structure, which was in the form of a small Doric temple in antis, appears to have suffered from the building above it having been shaken down by an earthquake.
The castle was originally erected by Robert Guiscard, but as it now stands it is mainly the work of the Doria family, who have possessed it since the time of Charles V.; and the noble cathedral which was founded in 1153 by Robert's son and successor, Roger, has had a modern restoration (though it retains its campaniles) in consequence of the earthquake of 1851, when the town was ruined, over one thousand of the inhabitants perishing.
Heavy earthquake shocks on the morning of the 18th of April 1906, followed by a fire which lasted three days, and a few slighter shocks, practically destroyed the business section of the city and some adjoining districts.
After the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti in early 2010, Travolta flew one of his planes, a 707, to the region, carrying supplies, medics and Scientology healers.
The city was again rebuilt, suffered again at the hands of the Mongols (1269) and from another great earthquake (1280), and never again rose to its former greatness.
All of them lie in a state of ruin, and, from the disposition of the drums of the columns, it is impossible to suppose that their fall was due to any other cause than an earthquake.
It suffered severely from an earthquake in 1819, which destroyed a large number of houses, and occasioned the loss of several lives.
The great earthquake of 1868, followed by a tidal wave, nearly destroyed the town and shipping.
Specially arranged contrivances which tell us that the ground has been shaken are called seismoscopes or earthquake indicators.
Though the early years of his reign were marked by numerous disasters, famine, pestilence and earthquake, of which the second seems to have been exceedingly serious, he reunited under his sway the whole of the empire which had belonged to his brother, and his generals conquered for him parts of Mesopotamia and Armenia, and in 1215 he got possession of Yemen.
The earthquake of 1790 furnished an excuse for withdrawing their forces.
In some instances since European occupation, violent earthquake shocks have resulted in considerable elevations of certain parts of the coast.
Start preparing yourself before an earthquake strikes.
Scheduled to open soon after April 18, 1906, The Fairmont survived The Great Earthquake that struck that day, but was ravaged by the subsequent fire.
In 1851 it suffered severely from an earthquake.
The earlier treasury was probably destroyed either by earthquake or by the percolation of water through the terracing.
The severe earthquake of the 31st of May 1818 partially destroyed the two cathedral steeples; and that of the I Ith of March 1875 damaged many of the larger buildings.
Euboea was believed to have originally formed part of the mainland, and to have been separated from it by an earthquake.
This is the less improbable because it lies in the neighbourhood of a line of earthquake movement, and both from Thucydides and from Strabo we hear of the northern part of the island being shaken at different periods, and the latter writer speaks of a fountain at Chalcis being dried up by a similar cause, and a mud volcano formed in the neighbouring plain.
It derives its name from the dangers attending its navigation, or, according to an Arabic legend, from the numbers who were drowned by the earthquake which separated Asia and Africa.
Portugal is very rarely visited by thunderstorms; but shocks of earthquake are frequently felt, and recall the great earthquake of Lisbon (q.v.) in 1755.
Most of the town was ruined by the earthquake of 1837.
An earthquake of magnitude 2.8 occurred on September 7, 1999 about 1.5 km southwest of the previous mining induced events.
On one occasion a specialist might be providing disaster preparedness training at the scene of a tornado or hurricane, and the next they might be preparing emergency plans at the site of a flood or earthquake.
It's a good idea to educate yourself about earthquake safety tips.
Cupboards should be equipped with sturdy safety latches so that they don't come open during the earthquake and spill their contents throughout the house (or on you and your family).
When an earthquake strikes, you need to drop down to the floor or ground, seek cover under something solid, and hold on until the shaking ends.
If you are indoors, stay away from windows if possible until the earthquake stops.
In a situation where you are outside when the earthquake hits, find a spot that is away from buildings, power lines or trees to take shelter.
People who are in a vehicle when the tremors start should stay inside it until the earthquake has passed.
Tunnels and overpasses are not safe places for you to stay during an earthquake, so get away from them as quickly as possible.
After the earthquake, you need to be aware of the potential for fires to break out.
There may be aftershocks after the main earthquake has stopped.
If they occur, drop down, take cover, and hold on - just as you did during the main earthquake.