Earthquakes and Volcanoes

Earthquakes and volcanoes are natural hazards destroying property, infrastructure, human beings, plants, and other living organisms. Usually, one finds it complicated to differentiate between these two. To know the difference between earthquakes and volcanoes, it is better to know everything about these natural phenomena. 

Earthquakes

An earthquake is the shaking of the earth’s surface due to the sudden release of energy in the lithosphere layer of the earth, creating seismic waves. It is the seismic event, whether natural or artificial, that generates the seismic waves, which further is considered an earthquake. The intensity of the earthquakes varies. Sometimes these are so weak that they even can’t be felt, and sometimes these are violent enough to cause destruction and propel organisms into the air. Earthquakes can further trigger tsunamis, landslides, and volcanic activities.

The earth’s crust is not all in a single piece. Instead, the earth’s crust is formed of many pieces called tectonic plates. The tectonic plates in the earth’s crust keep moving and slide past each other. The boundaries of these plates are formed of faults, and it is the faults where the earthquakes occur. Now the faults of this plate are rough. Whenever plates move, they get stuck, but they keep moving, and it is when the plates move far enough the faults get unstuck that further results in the earthquake. 

Different types of earthquake waves

Here mentioned are two types of waves involved in triggering the earthquakes:

• Body waves: Body waves are of two types- S-waves and P-waves. S-waves are the transverse waves, and P-waves are the longitudinal waves

• Surface waves: Surface waves are of two types- the waves causing the ground to move laterally and waves causing vertical oscillation of the round

Volcanoes

Volcanoes are the other natural phenomenon: the rupture in the crust of the earth, which further allows the hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from the magma chamber beneath the earth’s surface. It is where tectonic plates are either diverging or converging and underwater where volcanoes are mostly found on the earth.

The volcano eruption occurs because of the hot temperature deep within the earth’s surface. It is the hot temperature because of which the rocks buried deep within the earth start melting and become a thick flowing substance known as magma. Now that the magma formed is lighter than the solid rocks, it rises and is collected in the magma chambers. Eventually, some magma is pushed through the vents and erupts on the surface, building up a volcano.

Different types of volcanic eruptions

The type of volcanoes erupting depends on the composition, amount of magma, gas, and tectonic setting. Following mentioned are different types of volcanic eruptions:

• Hawaiian eruptions: These consist of lava flows and are common on volcanic islands. The magma has low gas content 

• Strombolian eruptions: These eruptions take place when the magma is less mafic, and gas content is higher

• Vulcanian eruptions: These eruptions are relatively more explosive, similar to the strombolian eruptions

• Plinian eruptions: These eruptions take place when the magma is more felsic and more gas is trapped

Differences between Earthquakes and Volcanoes 

Here mentioned is the difference between earthquakes and volcanoes in the form of a table:

Conclusion

Both earthquakes and volcanoes are a phenomenon of geological origin presenting a serious hazard to humans and properties. When it comes to differentiation, volcanoes originate from the earth’s surface and earthquakes, on the other hand, originate deeper within the earth’s crust. Consider going through this article to know more about the difference between earthquakes and volcanoes.