As we have understood once again with the unfortunate events in our country, an earthquake is one of the most terrible disasters that nature can bring about. On the land we live on, it can have devastating consequences.
So, if you’re on a plane trip, would you feel the noise and shaking of an earthquake on land? What danger could await you?
Seismic waves can move the earth up and down, causing major disasters.
When a sudden rupture or slippage occurs in the earth’s crust, energy is emitted as seismic waves, just as energy from a movement in a body of water is emitted in the form of waves.
Surface waves, a form of seismic waves, act just like waves in a body of water. It can cause great damage and disaster by moving the earth up and down.
The consequences of earthquakes on land are obvious, but what about water and air?
For us, the parts of the Earth we interact with are mostly land, but our planet also includes air and water. Earthquakes on the seafloor activate the water above it in the form of tsunamis, so why not some events in the atmosphere as well?
S waves, one of the types of seismic waves, do not propagate in liquids and gases.
The energy released during an earthquake is emitted by waves called seismic waves, which are similar to sound or water waves. Among these waves, “body waves” are divided into P waves and S waves.
Since P waves are the fastest propagating wave type, they are the first waves seen in earthquake recorders (seismographs). However, it is below the threshold of human hearing. When we “hear” an earthquake, we usually don’t hear seismic waves. Instead, we hear the sound produced when seismic waves travel through solid matter (such as the roar of a building and its contents).
Slower propagating S waves are secondary waves seen in recording instruments and whose vibrational motion is perpendicular to the direction of propagation. S waves cannot propagate in liquids and gases.
Waves lose their intensity as they move through air.
You cannot perceive the sounds of an earthquake from a flying plane. Thanks to what physicists call “attenuation”, waves gradually lose their intensity as they move through air.
As such, once seismic waves reached typical cruising altitudes of 30,000 feet (9,144 meters), the waves would subside so much that even the noise and movement of the aircraft itself would drown out the waves. For this reason, you do not hear or feel the earthquake from the plane.
Still, it doesn’t mean you’re not at risk.
If the tremors cause volcanic activity and the flight is operating at a low cruise level, this can cause turbulence. In addition, if the airport runways are damaged by liquefaction in a major earthquake, there may be considerable danger during landing.
Since we are talking about a devastating earthquake, the pilot who wants to contact the tower may not be able to communicate with the tower. Besides; runway lights and all lighting systems may be down, navigation devices may not signal, radar systems may become unusable.
In short; Even if you do not experience the effects of the earthquake while on the plane, you can come face to face with a great risk during landing.
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