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.
NASA Details Earthquake Effects on the Earth This view of Earth comes from NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer aboard the Terra satellite. NASA scientists using data from the Indonesian earthquake calculated it affected Earth's rotation, decreased the length of day, slightly changed the planet's shape, and shifted the North Pole by centimeters. The earthquake that created the huge tsunami also changed the Earth's rotation. Dr. Richard Gross of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., and Dr. Benjamin Fong Chao, of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., said all earthquakes have some affect on Earth's rotation.