Glossary

Also called: cataclysm  any sudden and violent change in the earth's surface caused by flooding, earthquake, or some other rapid process 

Reference

catastrophic. (n.d.). Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. Retrieved March 14, 2011, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/catastrophic

1. fragments or remnants of something destroyed or broken; rubble
2. a collection of loose material derived from rocks, or an accumulation of animal or vegetable matter

Reference

debris. (n.d.). Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. Retrieved March 14, 2011, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/debris

A long, narrow crack or opening in the face of a rock.

Reference

fissures. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Science Dictionary. Retrieved March 14, 2011, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fissures

1. to hold back; hinder; impede: A steady rain hampered the progress of the work.
2. to interfere with; curtail: The dancers' movements were hampered by their elaborate costumes. 

Reference

hampered. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved March 14, 2011, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hampered

The rapid downward sliding of a mass of earth and rock. Landslides usually move over a confined area. Many kinds of events can trigger a landslide, such as the oversteepening of slopes by erosion associated with rivers, glaciers, or ocean waves; heavy snowmelt which saturates soil and rock; or earthquakes that lead to the failure of weak slopes.

Reference

landslide. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Science Dictionary. Retrieved March 14, 2011, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/landslide

A measure of the total amount of energy released by an earthquake, as indicated on the Richter scale.

Reference

Magnitude. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Science Dictionary. Retrieved March 14, 2011, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Magnitude

to lessen in force or intensity

Reference

mitigation. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved March 14, 2011, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mitigation

a logarithmic scale of 1 to 10 (a successor to the Richter scale) that enables seismologists to compare the energy released by different earthquakes on the basis of the area of the geological fault that ruptured in the quake

Reference

Moment magnitude scale. (n.d.). WordNet® 3.0. Retrieved March 14, 2011, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Moment magnitude scale

A.
An oscillating wave in an enclosed body of water. A seiche may have a period from a few minutes to a few hours and is usually a result of seismic or atmospheric disturbances. 

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B.
rhythmic oscillation of water in a lake or a partially enclosed coastal inlet, such as a bay, gulf, or harbour. A seiche may last from a few minutes to several hours or for as long as two days. The phenomenon was first observed and studied in Lake Geneva ( Lac Leman), Switzerland, in the 18th century.

References

A.
seiche. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Science Dictionary. Retrieved March 14, 2011, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/seiche

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B.
seiche. (n.d.). © Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.. Retrieved March 14, 2011, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/seiche

to twist suddenly and forcibly; pull, jerk, or force by a violent twist

Reference

wrenched. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved March 14, 2011, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/wrenched