Week 3 Earthquakes

 Week 3 - Earthquakes in Ireland 

When looking at Ireland in the context of earthquakes, Ireland has relatively low seismic activity. Ireland is located on the Eurasian plate and is about 1,000 miles away from the closest plate boundary. Because Ireland is so far away from a tectonic plate boundary you would assume that they wouldn't experience many earthquakes which is exactly the case. Ireland does however experience the rare earthquake which is usually low magnitude. Below is an image of the probability of an earthquake hazard occurring. The red arrow points to Ireland.



The closest plate boundary to Ireland is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge which does not experience many intense tectonic forces to cause an earthquake in Ireland. 

    Although Ireland faces less of a seismic threat than other countries they have taken steps to ensure they are prepared for a massive earthquake. Firstly the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) operates seismic stations across Ireland. These stations can detect earthquakes for scientists to study and provide early warnings. Ireland also follows European building standards which ensure structural integrity in the event of an earthquake. Finally, Ireland also collaborates with agencies like the European Seismological Commission to share data and improve preparedness. Overall Ireland doesn't face much of a seismological threat but still takes the correct measures to ensure preparedness in the event of an earthquake hazard. 

References:

Image: http://www.seismo.ethz.ch/en/knowledge/things-to-know/causes-of-earthquakes/europe/

https://www.dias.ie/

https://academic.oup.com/gji/?login=false

https://www.esc.cam.ac.uk/

Comments

  1. NadiaSeptember 6, 2024 at 1:54 PM

    Hi Nolan! I really like what you put together this week for Ireland. The idea that even in places with low earthquake risk, like Ireland, it's still important to know how to prepare and respond to an earthquake, just in case one happens. It's the same as Switzerland, which is the country I have been researching.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ana GGSeptember 7, 2024 at 9:26 AM

    Great seismic reflection!

    ReplyDelete

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