Earthquakes can occur anywhere, but occur with regularity along tectonic plate boundaries which are by definition faults in the Earth's lithosphere. Plates are independently moving slabs of hard rock that pull apart from each other (divergent fault), grind past each other (transform fault), and push into each other (convergent fault). All three types of plate boundaries can produce earthquakes as the lithospheric plates either fracture from stress or the stress from grinding or collision is released when rock from either side of the fault snaps into a new position.
As tectonic plates move, their edges experience stress. If part of a plate cannot move freely, energy from the stress on the gay rocks builds up. At some point, the stress becomes so great that it breaks rock along a fault, causing an earthquake.
It's because tectonic plates sometimes move. They collide sometimes. That makes earthquakes.
EDIT: Tectonic plates move, that's true, and they 'rub' against one another, it's at those points of friction (along the boundaries) that tension gathers. As tension gathers, past certain critical points, the energy gets released, and the momentum is freed into what we call earthquakes.
EDIT2: The reason that earthquakes occur more around Tectonic plates is because they grind and move on each other and that is what causes the earth quakes to happen. After they grind long enough fault lines spread out towards the middl of the plates much like a crack in a windshield of a car spreads out. So earthquakes will happen along those fault lines as well as the area around the plates.
The reason for the forming of faults around plate boundaries is because the plates push or pull the crust so much the crust breaks.
-Jeff
Most faults occur along plate boundaries, where plates push or pull the crust so much that the crust breaks.
most faults occur along plate boundaries where the forces of plate motion push or pull the crust so much that the crust breaks
because they do
no
c
Faults occur near plate boundaries because the earth is weaker there... The magma under the Earth's crust makes the plates move very slowly and sometimes two plates can crash into each other causing the ground to shake.
they occur at transform boundaries
Oceanic-oceanic plate divergence, such as that occurring at the mid-ocean ridges.
reverse
False. Earthquakes mostly occur along faults that are at or very near to plate boundaries.
The majority of faults occur in the plate boundaries.
The majority of faults occur in the plate boundaries.
Faults occur because the forces of plate motion push or pull the crust so much that the crust breaks.
Yes, but not as often as earthquakes happen near plate boundaries
along tectonic plate boundaries.
True
Plate boundaries are not found in volcanoes.Volcanoes occur along plate boundaries usually along convergent boundaries
Earthquakes infrequently occur away from plate boundaries. Most earthquakes occur at plate boundaries because of the stress caused by the interacting plates.
yes
yes they do occur along divergent boundaries
Divergent plate boundaries.