Cause of a Richter scale blip crossword

Why the Needle Jumps - The Small Word Behind a Richter Blip

Crossword clues sometimes ask for a one word reason the Richter needle moves. The answer is “SEISM,” a direct synonym for earthquake. The term comes from the Greek “seismos,” which meant only “a shaking.” Earthquakes start when rock inside the crust or upper mantle breaks and releases stored energy - plate shifts or volcanic movement cause the break.

SEISM - the Likely Answer

What the Word Means

A seism is the event we call an earthquake. Rock snaps energy speeds outward in waves, the ground shakes.

How the Richter Scale Works

Charles Richter built the scale in the 1930s. Each whole step up multiplies wave height by ten and energy by about thirty. A “blip” on the scale is any event large enough to register - it shows that a seism has happened.

How Earthquakes Happen

Moving Plates

The planet's outer shell is broken into a few rigid plates. Deep below hot rock slowly turns over causing the plates to drift a few centimetres each year. At the place where two plates meet, they remain locked for decades or even centuries. Stress builds until the rock breaks. The energy that was stored is released as vibrations that move through the crust and the deeper mantle.

Volcanoes

When molten rock and gas push upward, the ground above fractures plus trembles - those small shakes often occur days or hours before lava reaches the surface giving nearby people a short warning that an eruption is near.

• Earthquakes - Rock under the ground suddenly slips. The slip releases stored up stress and shows as a number on the Richter scale.
• Volcanic Eruptions - Melted rock moves under the ground. Hot gases escape at the same time. The ground shakes as a result.
• Landslides and Avalanches - A large mass of rock, soil or snow slides down a slope. The slide sends vibrations through the crust.
• Meteorite Impacts - A rock from space hits the ground hard. The impact sends shock waves outward.

Conclusion - Unraveling the Crossword Clue

The crossword clue “Cause of a Richter scale blip” leads to the word “SEISM,” the clipped form of seismic event or earthquake. Once we know what shakes the ground, we see both the active forces that shape the planet plus the reason we record every tremor - to warn and protect people from the next shock.