GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Liquefaction takes place when loosely packed, water-logged sediments at or near the ground surface lose their strength in response to strong ground shaking. Liquefaction occurring beneath buildings and other structures can cause major damage during earthquakes.

Detailed explanation-2: -Liquefaction is the destabilization of sand or soil when groundwater (water underground) is forced out from between grains during the shaking of a moderate or strong earthquake. If liquefaction occurs under a building, it may start to lean, tip over, or sink several feet.

Detailed explanation-3: -soil liquefaction, also called earthquake liquefaction, ground failure or loss of strength that causes otherwise solid soil to behave temporarily as a viscous liquid.

Detailed explanation-4: -Liquefaction is the process which causes soil to behave more like a liquid than a solid during an earthquake. The shaking rearranges sand and silt grains in wet soil underground and the water between the grains is squeezed.

Detailed explanation-5: -Types of seismic waves created by an earthquake include P-waves and S-waves that travel throught the earth as well as surface waves, which can cause a lot of damage at the Earth’s surface. Courtesy of USGS.