what is a tectonic earthquake? explain.
Answers
A volcano tectonic earthquake is an earthquake induced by the movement (injection or withdrawal) of magma. The movement results in pressure changes in the rock around where the magma has experienced stress. At some point, the rock may break or move.
Many of the several million earthquakes that happen in the world every year go undetected because they are in remote areas or have tiny magnitudes. Of those that are detected, most are large tectonic earthquakes, which are caused by geological forces on rocks and the adjoining plates of the Earth's crust.
Most earthquakes are tectonic earthquakes, which happen when the large, thin plates of the Earth's crust and upper mantle become stuck as they move past one another. They lock together, and pressure builds up. When they finally release, earthquakes occur.
Tectonic earthquakes occur at plate tectonic boundaries. Tectonic plates are constantly moving slowly, but sometimes friction between them causes them lock together and become unable to move. The rest of the plates carry on moving, which leads to increased pressure on the locked section. Eventually, the locked section succumbs to the pressure, and the plates move past each other rapidly. This movement causes a tectonic earthquake. The waves of released energy move through the Earth's crust and cause the shaking we feel at an earthquake site.
A tectonic earthquake occurs where tectonic plates meet, an area known as the boundary. When two plates push into each other, they form a convergent plate boundary. For example, the oceanic Nazca Plate off the coast of South America along the Peru-Chile trench pushes into and is subducted under the South American Plate. This movement lifts up the South American Plate, creating the Andes mountains. The Nazca Plate breaks into smaller parts that are locked in place for long periods before suddenly shifting to cause earthquakes.