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What is an Earthquake?



An earthquake is a shaking of the ground caused by the sudden shifting of large sections



of the earth's crust. Earthquakes are one of the most powerful events on earth, and they can be



terrifying. A severe earthquake may release energy 10,000 times as great as that of the first



atomic bomb. Rock movements during an earthquake can make rivers change their direction.



Earthquakes can trigger landslides and Volcanoes that cause great damage and loss of life.



Large earthquakes beneath the ocean can create a series of huge, destructive waves called



tsunamis.





Plate Tectonics





A plate is a large section of the earth's crust. Tectonics is the art or science of making



things out of smaller pieces. According to sceintists, sevn to twelve large plates, and several



smaller ones, make up the earth's crust.







The earth's plates are continually moving, perhaps as much as several inches a year. As



they move, they bump against each other. They can spread apart from each other, or push



against each other. Somethimes, during this movement, one platre will com up over the top of



another. In other places, two plates will slide along next to one another.







The area of the crust that breaks is known as a fault. Faults can be seen on the eath's



suface. Any area where faults are common are called falt zones.





Four out of any five earthquakes take place around the edge of the pacific Ocean....