Category: Asia

Natural calamities strike just about every part of the globe. Since time immemorial, the world has seen its fair share of disasters from time to time. However, there are certain places in the world that are more prone to these disasters than other places, and experience financial difficulties because of it. While blizzards are only experienced in places with snow and hurricanes are more common in tropical areas, earthquakes are also common in certain parts of the globe. Known as the “ring of fire” or the circum-Pacific belt, this is a region in Asia that is hit by 90{915279c9563e780dcc2f0d38c8deb267411de096a0b59ba8c295a8c78032d7c7} of the earthquakes happening around the world.

An earthquake is a destructive earth movement whose magnitude is ranked on a scale of one to ten. When the epicenter is in the ocean, an earthquake can generate massive tsunamis that can kill hundreds to thousands of people over a short period of time. The reason that South East Asia experiences earthquakes more often than the rest of the world is because of tectonic plates making up the ring of fire. The two main plates are the Eurasian Plate and the Philippine Plate that often rubs each other resulting to powerful quakes. Meanwhile, the North America Plate and the Pacific Plate makes up …

We are not new to natural calamities. We learned to live with them and accept them as a part of our lives. While we certainly can’t stop them, we can take measures to protect ourselves from its wrath. It is easier done in calamities that give off signals in advance, giving us ample time to prepare and evacuate when necessary. Think of hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, even floods, and droughts. Meanwhile, an earthquake can strike without any warning at all. It can do serious damage, not only to buildings, but to computer assets resulting in data loss. We just know once it hits us and we can only duck for cover.

Just what is an earthquake? Many of you are probably wondering how the earth can shake with so much ferocity and power. An earthquake is the sudden and violent shaking of the ground because of volcanic action or movement of the earth’s crust or plates. It can cause severe destruction in high magnitudes and can even trigger tsunamis on low-lying and coastal areas, says Doug Richie of The Climate Change College. These shock waves radiate out from the rock’s first breaking point.

The “Ring of Fire” otherwise known as the circum-Pacific belt is found in Asia. It is a major …