Ethan Judkins

Mrs. Craig
Grade 8 English, Period 4
March 23, 2015
Earthquakes and Effects
The silver light of the moon shines upon the lonely stretch of Californian road you and
your rusty old truck are driving on. There is a great shake, and a mighty roar as your truck skids
to a halt. Right before you, a massive ravine appears, scarring the earth and the road along with
it. You just barely avoided a very long drop to your death. This is an earthquake, a massive shift
in the Earths tectonic plates that causes horrific effects. They are not to be underestimated, for
their effects can disastrously harm the landscape, people, and their property. Most of all, the
earthquake can change the area it occurred in forever.
When an earthquake strikes, the landscape and area can be devastated by its effects. The
earthquake is caused by the plates shifting apart. From an informative brochure, it states, ...they
slide over the planets molten mantle...mountains form where two plates meet...earthquakes
rattle This text explains the effects of two plates colliding. Not only does the ground shake,
but the force of the two landmasses makes soaring mountains and peaks. The best example of
this is the Himalayan mountain range, which was formed nearly 60 million years ago when the
Indian land mass collided with southern Asia, making the highest mountains in the world. But
not all the effects of earthquakes on the earth create new things. Some of the effects can destroy
as well. The same brochure states, The process is not gentle. Where two plates meet, mountains
form, earthquakes rattle, and volcanoes erupt...oceans pour in and also from a news report,
...tens of thousands of buildings were damaged or destroyed, and the final repair bill came to $6
billion. These two passages show that not all effects are gentle. Much of the earth around the

quake is upset, many trees become uprooted, and thousands of buildings can be destroyed,
leaving heaps and heaps of trashed metal and concrete on the earth. Earthquakes also have more
personal effects than just on the earth, however.
Quakes can cause terrible effects to people, both those near and far away from the
epicenter. For example, several hundred people can be killed in a quake, from a number of
reasons. A news report says, The earthquake killed over 60 people, injured almost 4,000, and
left several thousand Californians homeless. This shows that earthquakes can injure a great deal
of people. In this instance, thousands were injured and killed from the effects of earthquakes, but
most of these injuries were not directly from the shaking of the ground, but from collapsed
buildings and structures. Another example of people affected by earthquakes was from an
internet blog. The blogger posts, Everyone in California must be calling home right now and the
telecommunications system is overwhelmed. This overwhelming of the telecommunications
system can lead to a lot of distress in and out of the earthquake zone. People inside cannot
message home to reassure their families, and people outside do not not whether their loved ones
are safe or not. Besides the distress, lack of communication can make it difficult for first
responders to arrive at the scene and gather the lost and injured efficiently and safely. Therefore,
the effects of earthquakes on people can be distressing as well as destructive. Things other than
people can be affected by earthquakes.
Property damage in earthquakes can be overwhelming. Cars, houses, and buildings all
can be destroyed by the shaking of the earthquake. Evidence of these destructive effects can be
seen in an insurance claim. ...front porch support columns askew...bedroom window
broken...closet walls cracked...floors displaced These claims are only a small part of what
property can be ruined by earthquakes. Entire buildings can collapse, leading to billionsof dollars

in repair fees. Also, families can be financially ruined with no place to go after a quake, if their
home was destroyed. And all the appliances in a home could be wrecked, meaning more things to
be replaced. Earthquakes can be destructive to anything near it, be it landscape, people, or
property.
Earthquakes can have several effects on the landscape, people on that landscape, and their
property. When a quake strikes, the earth can split apart, making mountains and oceans. Along
with that, people can be injured in the spot of the quake, leading to thousands of possible
casualties. And finally, peoples property can be damaged, meaning thousands of dollars of
repairs. If you ever find yourself driving down the road when an earthquake strikes, youll find
yourself affected; one way or another.