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Mapping Earthquakes
Most people have heard of Plate Tectonics, even if they don't have a clear idea of what a "plate" is made of or what "tectonics" actually means. (Plates are made of lithosphere; Tekton is Greek for carpenter, or builder, so tectonics refers to the building of mountains and other large-scale structures.) The earth's surface is covered with thin plates that are irregularly shaped and move independently of each other. Let's think how we might we draw a map showing these plates.
Because the plates are moving in different directions,
there is bumping, jostling and sliding where two plates meet. This violent
activity often ruptures rock, causing an earthquake. Therefore, looking at
earthquake activity around the world should help us to find the edges of these
plates, and thus to create a plate boundary map.
Discovery Topics > Earthquakes > Mapping Earthquakes <
