The destruction an earthquake causes depends on its magnitude and duration, or the amount of shaking that occurs. A structure’s design and the materials used in its construction also affect the amount of damage the structure incurs. Earthquakes vary from small, imperceptible shaking to large shocks felt over thousands of kilometers. Earthquakes can deform the ground, make buildings and other structures collapse, and create tsunamis.
- magnitude [ˈmæɡnitju:d] n. 震级
- duration [djuəˈreiʃən] n. 持续时间
- shaking [ˈʃeikiŋ] n. 摇晃
- incur [inˈkə:] v. 招致
- vary [ˈvɛəri] v. 不同，变化
- imperceptible [ˌɪmpəˈseptibl] adj. 极细微的
- deform [diˈfɔ:m] v. (使)变形
- collapse [kəˈlæps] n. 倒塌
- tsunami [tsju:ˈnɑ:mi] n.海啸
