Earthquake environmental effects

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Earthquake environmental effects are the changes to land and water caused by earthquakes. They include ground cracks (surface faulting), liquefied soil, ground shaking that can damage buildings, landslides, and tsunamis. These effects can happen near or far from the quake and can leave lasting changes in the landscape. Underwater ruptures or landslides triggered by shaking can generate tsunamis. These environmental effects are a major hazard during large earthquakes. Scientists measure earthquake impact with the Environmental Seismic Intensity scale (ESI), which uses only the size and spread of environmental effects. A lot of data comes from modern, historical, and ancient earthquakes, with research supported by the INQUA TERPRO Commission on Paleoseismology and Active Tectonics.