Consider the following statements about earthquakes:
- The maximum damage due to an earthquake occurs at its epicentre.
- In areas close to the epicentre, the earthquake waves reach the earth's surface obliquely in a 'to-and-fro movement', thereby causing maximum damage.
Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The maximum damage from an earthquake occurs at the epicentre, the point directly above the focus, so statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 is wrong because near the epicentre the seismic waves reach the surface almost at right angles, nearly vertically, rather than obliquely as a 'to-and-fro movement'. Only statement 1 is correct.