Earthquakes

EARTHQUAKES occur as a result of movement in the earth's crust. Pieces of the crust, called plates, float atop the earth's mantle, which is viscous and very slowly moving. This mantle carries the plates in various directions, and when they meet, plates slide past or over and under each other. Occasionally they lock, movement stops and pressure builds up. When at length the pressure is great enough to rupture the snag, shock waves are created that ripple through the rock, causing shaking and...

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