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Earthquakes Quick Facts  QUICK FACTS - Earthquakes The first ever seismograph was invented in China by Zhang Heng, in AD130. Between 200-300 earthquakes are detected in the UK every year. Luckily, most of them are too tiny to be felt. The largest earthquake in the UK happened on the 7th June 1931. It had an epicentre offshore in the Dogger Bank area (120-km NE of Great Yarmouth). One person died. On the edge of the Pacific Ocean plate, as pieces of crust push against one another, earthquakes are common. This plate edge is also marked by a line of active volcanoes and is the reason why it is generally referred to as the `Ring of Fire'. The San Andreas Fault in California marks where the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate meet. Both plates actually move in the same direction, but at different speeds, which is where the problem is. For most of the time the plates pass each other by and only create tremors. But every so often, they get stuck and the pressure builds up to develop into a larger quake. Some rocks are finely balanced between snapping or remaining firm. When the Hoover Dam in the USA was filled for the first time in the 1930s, engineers found that as the water got higher, earthquakes began to happen. Engineers had no idea that the filling of a reservoir would have this side effect. These days, engineers fill dam reservoirs more slowly. This gives the rocks a chance to adjust to the weight of the water without setting off earthquakes. Scientists have experimented with injecting sand or liquids into the San Andreas Fault in California in an attempt to `lubricate' it. The hope is that it will eventually move gently all the time and not build up dangerous pressures. If you get caught in an earthquake, one of the safer places to be is in the frame of an open door. A doorframe will often stand up after the floors have collapsed, because it is one of the strongest parts of the building. Another safe place is under a desk. If the ceiling falls, the desk will take much of the weight. More Information >>   Earthquakes Contents >> Quick Facts<< Introduction Where Earthquakes Happen How Earthquakes happen Effects of Earthquakes Measuring Earthquakes Forecasting Earthquakes Useful Links