断层（地质学）
定义
岩石中发生过位移的断裂面。断层长度从数毫米到数千公里不等。产生地震的主要断层称为活动断层。
示例
圣安德烈亚斯断层绵延1,200公里穿过加利福尼亚州。
相关术语
相关指南
地震是什么?完整入门指南
Learn what causes earthquakes, how they occur along fault lines, and why some regions experience more seismic activity than others.
前震:能预测主震吗?
Foreshocks occur before some major earthquakes, but can they be used for prediction? Learn the science behind foreshocks and their limitations.
2011年东北地震和海啸:完整分析
The 2011 M9.1 Tohoku earthquake triggered a devastating tsunami and nuclear disaster. A comprehensive analysis of one of history's worst earthquakes.
1556年陕西地震:历史上最严重的地震
The 1556 Shaanxi earthquake killed approximately 830,000 people, making it the deadliest earthquake in recorded human history.
2015年尼泊尔地震:廓尔喀地震
The 2015 M7.8 Nepal earthquake devastated Kathmandu and triggered avalanches on Everest. A study in building vulnerability and international response.
1755年里斯本地震:哲学改变的时刻
The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, tsunami, and fire destroyed one of Europe's greatest cities and sparked the Enlightenment debate on natural evil.
地震天气:为什么是迷思
There is no such thing as earthquake weather. Learn why this persistent myth has no scientific basis and what actually triggers earthquakes.
人类能引发地震吗?诱发地震的真相
Fracking, mining, and reservoir filling can trigger earthquakes. Learn the science of induced seismicity and which human activities pose real risk.
地震只发生在断层线上吗?
While most earthquakes occur along faults, intraplate earthquakes can strike far from plate boundaries. Learn where unexpected earthquakes happen.
尼泊尔和喜马拉雅碰撞带
The India-Eurasia collision builds the Himalayas and creates major earthquake risk for Nepal, Bangladesh, and northern India.
相关案例研究
1755年里斯本地震:撼动启蒙运动的灾难
The earthquake that launched both seismology as a science and modern emergency management, while simultaneously triggering a philosophical revolution.
1556年陕西地震:人类历史上最严重的地震(830,000人死亡)
The deadliest earthquake in human history, killing 830,000 people -- primarily because the population lived in cave dwellings carved into loess cliffs that collapsed en masse during the shaking.
常见问题解答
震中是地表上位于震源（地震破裂开始处）正上方的点。通常以经纬度坐标报告。最强的震动通常发生在震中附近，但当地土壤条件和断层几何形态可能使最大损害区域发生偏移。
地震仪（地震计）是检测和记录地震波引起的地面运动的仪器。现代宽频带地震仪可以检测到比原子宽度还小的运动。全球地震仪网络使科学家能够在几分钟内确定地震的位置和震级。
P波（纵波）是通过岩石传播最快的压缩波，最先到达地震台站。S波（横波）到达较晚但引起更大的地面震动。P波可以通过固体、液体和气体传播；S波只能通过固体传播。两者之间的时间差有助于确定地震的距离。
震源是地球内部地震破裂开始的点。它由经度、纬度和深度来描述。震源与其正上方地表之间的垂直距离即为地震深度，这对地表感受到的震动强度有很大影响。
地震学是研究地震和地震波在地球内部传播的科学学科。它包括地震检测、定位和特征描述、地球内部结构、地震危险性评估和地震工程。地震学家利用全球地震仪网络的数据来研究这些现象。