Why do earthquakes tend to happen in coastal communities?
Jun 09, 2009
in
Earthquake Questions
I realize other places may get earthquakes, but it seems it's always a place boardering an ocean that gets them the most. Can anyone tell me scientifically why this happens?
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3 comments
RIck T on June 9, 2009 at 4:09 pm
The earthquakes aren't connected to oceans exactly, but the assumption that it has to do with the coast is understandable. They're connected to the movements of tectonic plates (huge sections of the earth's crust) as they interact with each other — the places where plates meet are fault lines. Most of these happen to be underseas, so any land or islands nearby tend to feel the movements.
The faults which define the Pacific plate, for example, are called the Ring of Fire because they are not only known for the frequency of earthquakes but also of volcanic activity. The whole west coast of North and South America run against fault lines. The Azores islands experience many earthquakes because they lie where the African and Eurasian plates meet.
Some fault lines aren't entirely underseas, though. The Himalayan mountains lie along the place where the Indian Plate and Eurasian Plate meet. These mountains are formed by the plates pushing against each other and shoving land upwards. There is also a fault line that crosses Russia, and one between Arabia and Asia Minor. These fault lines produce earthquakes, too.
Wounded Duck on June 9, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Earthquakes occur mostly where the continental plates rub each other! It's called tectonics!
Blueeyes on June 9, 2009 at 4:09 pm
There are fault lines up against the edge of California and you can see them on the map when you check the fault lines.
The small lines on the map are fault lines and there are a lot of them and you can see them on the map.
http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/recenteqs/latest.htm