What effect does an earthquake have on the biosphere?
Ground shaking leads to landslides and other soil movement. These are the main damage-causing events that occur during an earthquake. Primary effects that can accompany an earthquake include property damage, loss of lives, fire, and tsunami waves. Secondary effects, such as economic loss, disease, and lack of food and clean water, also occur after a large earthquake. Ground Shaking and Landslides Ground shaking weakens soils and foundation materials under structures and causes dramatic changes in fine-grained soils. During an earthquake, water-saturated sandy soil becomes liquid mud, an effect called liquefaction. Shaking may also dislodge large earth and rock masses, producing dangerous landslides, mudslides, and rock avalanches. Fire Another post-earthquake threat is fire. The amount of damage caused by post-earthquake fire depends on the types of building materials used, whether water lines are intact, and whether natural gas mains have been broken. Ruptured gas mains may lead to nu
