GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Most of the world’s earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, and volcanic eruptions are caused by the continuous motions of the many tectonic plates that make up the Earth’s outer shell. The most powerful of these natural hazards occur in subduction zones, where two plates col-lide and one is thrust beneath another.

Detailed explanation-2: -The tectonic plates are always slowly moving, but they get stuck at their edges due to friction. When the stress on the edge overcomes the friction, there is an earthquake that releases energy in waves that travel through the earth’s crust and cause the shaking that we feel.

Detailed explanation-3: -In its most general sense, the word earthquake is used to describe any seismic event-whether natural or caused by humans-that generates seismic waves. Earthquakes are caused mostly by rupture of geological faults but also by other events such as volcanic activity, landslides, mine blasts, and nuclear tests.

Detailed explanation-4: -Earthquakes at divergent plate boundaries occur as new crust is created and other crust is pushed apart. This causes the crust to crack and form faults where earthquakes occur. Most earthquakes at divergent plate boundaries occur at mid-ocean ridges where two pieces of oceanic crust are moving away from each other.

Detailed explanation-5: -Tectonic plates sometimes cause earthquakes, but they can’t cause tsunamis.