A tragic hero can be defined simply as the protagonist of a tragedy. The Greek philosopher Aristotle, however, endowed this individual with a number of specific characteristics. The first of which is his ability to evoke fear and pity from an audience.
Earthquakes can negatively affect the environment in a number of ways. The initial shock can trigger landslides, displacing soil and leaving the area vulnerable to erosion. Quakes can also stir up dust, pollen, spores, and other material and disburse it into the air.
But, not all aspects of earthquakes are negative. Earthquakes release tremendous amounts of seismic energy which travel throughout the Earth's interior. Study of how this energy changes as it travels throughout the Earth has given geologists a tremendous amount of information about the Earth's interior.