Earthquakes

The earth’s surface consists of 20 constantly moving plates. The pressure increases due to the shifting plates, it can cause the crust to break. This break allows stress to be released as energy, which moves through the earth in the form of waves (aka earthquakes). Normally, it’s not the shaking ground itself that claims lives during an earthquake. It’s the associated destruction of man-made structures and the instigation of other natural disasters such as tsunamis, avalanches and landslides.

The sun and moon cause tremors

It’s long been known that the sun and the moon create tides in the planet’s crust, very minor versions of ocean tides. Now researchers say the tug of the sun and moon on the San Andreas Fault stimulates tremors deep underground.

Oil extraction can cause minor earthquakes

These are not the quakes you read about. Rather, because oil generally is found in soft and squishy sediment, when oil is removed other rock moves in to fill the void, creating ‘mini-seismic events’ that are not noticeable to humans.

The Pacific ring of fire

Almost 80 per cent of all the planet’s earthquakes occur along the rim of the Pacific Ocean, called the ‘Ring of Fire’; a region that encircles the Pacific Ocean and is home to 452 volcanoes (over 75 per cent of the world’s active and dormant volcanoes).

Published in Dawn, Young World, April 6th, 2019