Earth-Shaking Facts About Natural Disasters
“Even with all our technology and the inventions that make modern life so much easier than it once was, it takes just one big natural disaster to wipe all that away and remind us that, here on Earth, we're still at the mercy of nature. “Neil deGrasse Tyson.
Natural Disasters are catastrophic events such as earthquakes, floods or hurricanes that cause damage and even loss of life. Disasters can strike anywhere and at any time, and have long been a source of fascination.
Enjoy these 41 earth-shaking facts about natural disasters.
Natural Disasters Facts
41. Tunguska Event
On June 30, 1908, a giant explosion with the magnitude of a 5.0 earthquake shook Siberia.
Witnesses described seeing a bright fireball in the sky, and it caused trees to fall, buildings to shake, and people to be knocked off their feet as far as 40 miles away. While many animals were killed in the blast, no humans lost their lives.
The explosion is generally attributed to the air burst of a meteorite. It is classified as an impact event, even though no impact crater has been found.
The object is thought to have disintegrated at an altitude of 3 to 6 miles rather than hit the surface of the Earth.
40. Humans Play a Part
Weather is the main cause of natural disasters, but human activity can play a role in how frequently they occur and in their severity. As we speed the rate of global warming hurricanes have become more common and more severe on average.
39. Earthquake
The Valdivia Earthquake (also known as the Great Chilean Earthquake) in 1960 is to date the most powerful earthquake ever recorded on Earth. It was rated 9.
5 on the Moment Magnitude scale, and generated a tsunami that caused damage over 9,000 miles away.
