Earthquake Pictures
 KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP/Getty Images Earthquakes can be caused by underground explosions or collapsing structures as well as by natural movements of the earth's plates. |
 AGUNG SWASTIKA/AFP/Getty Images An earthquake can shatter our perspective of the ground we walk on as "rock solid." |
 SAJJAD QAYYUM/AFP/Getty Images An earthquake's destructive power varies depending on the composition of the ground in an area and the design and placement of manmade structures. |
 Photo by China Photos/Getty Images Highly developed areas built on loose ground material can suffer severe damage from even a relatively mild earthquake. |
 JAIME RAZURI/AFP/Getty Images Earthquakes can precipitate other natural disasters, such as avalanches and landslides. |
 Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images Surface waves are responsible for most of the damage associated with earthquakes, because they cause the most intense vibrations. |
 RENDRA TRISNADI/AFP/Getty Images Earthquakes that cause property damage are usually rated 5 or higher on the Richter Scale. |
 AAMIR QURESHI/AFP/Getty Images It's important to design structures that can withstand the force of an earthquake, especially in quake-prone areas. |
 ADEK BERRY/AFP/Getty Images Seismologists have had more success predicting locations of aftershocks than of initial earthquakes. |
 JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images The loss of home and belongings in an earthquake can be catastrophic for quake survivors. |
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