An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that

creates seismic waves. The seismicity or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time. Earthquakes are measured using observations from seismometers. The moment magnitude (or the partly obsolete Richter magnitude, numerically similar over the range of validity of the Richter scale) of an earthquake is conventionally reported, with magnitude 3 or lower earthquakes being mostly almost imperceptible and magnitude 7 and over potentially causing serious damage over large areas, depending on their depth. The largest earthquakes in historic times have been of magnitude slightly over 9, although there is no limit to the possible magnitude. The most recent large earthquake of magnitude 9.0 or larger was a 9.0 magnitude earthquake in Japan in 2011 (as of March 2011), and it was the largest Japanese earthquake since records began. Intensity of shaking is measured on the modified Mercalli scale. The shallower an earthquake, the more damage to structures it causes, all else being equal.[1] At the Earth's surface, earthquakes manifest themselves by shaking and sometimes displacement of the ground. When a large earthquake epicenter is located offshore, the seabed may be displaced sufficiently to cause a tsunami. Earthquakes can also trigger landslides, and occasionally volcanic activity. In its most general sense, the word earthquake is used to describe any seismic eventwhether natural or caused by humansthat generates seismic waves. Earthquakes are caused mostly by rupture of geological faults, but also by other events such as volcanic activity, landslides, mine blasts, and nuclear tests. An earthquake's point of initial rupture is called its focus or hypocenter. The epicenter is the point at ground level directly above the hypocenter. "The earth''s surface is covered with tectonic plates that move with respect to one another at centimetres per year. These plates converge at deep-sea trenches, plate boundaries where one plate sinks (subducts) below the other at so-called subduction zones. The velocities of these plates and the velocities of the boundaries between these plates vary significantly on Earth." Schellart and his team, including UC San Diego geophysicist Dave Stegman and Rebecca Farrington, Justin Freeman and Louis Moresi from Monash University, used observational data and advanced computer models to develop a new mathematical scaling theory, which demonstrates that the velocities of the plates and the plate boundaries depend on the size of subduction zones and the presence of subduction zone edges. Stegman, who developed the computer models that helped the team reenact tens of millions of years of tectonic movement, said: "The scalings for how subducted plates sink in the earth''s mantle are based on essentially the same fluid dynamics that describe how a penny sinks through a jar of honey. The computer models demonstrate that the subducted portion of a tectonic plate pulls on the portion of the plate that remains on the earth''s surface. This pull results in either the motion of the plate, or the motion of the plate boundary, with the size of the subduction zone determining how much of each. "In some ways, plate tectonics is the surface expression of dynamics in the earth''s interior but now we understand the plates themselves are controlling the process more than the mantle

underneath. It means Earth is really more of a top-down system than the predominantly held view that plate motion is being driven from the bottom-up." This discovery explains why the Australian, Nazca and Pacific plates move up to four times faster than the smaller African, Eurasian and Juan de Fuca plates. "It also provides explanations for the motions of the ancient Farallon plate that sank into the mantle below North and South America. This plate slowed down during eastward motion from about 10 centimetres (four inches) per year some 50 million years ago to only 2 centimetres (0.8 inches) per year at present," Schellart said. The decrease in plate velocity resulted from the decrease in subduction zone size, which decreased from 14,000 kilometres (8,700 miles) to only 1,400 kilometres (870 miles). "This had a dramatic effect on the topography and the structure of the North American continent. Until 50 million years ago, the west coast of North America was characterized by a massive mountain chain similar to the present day Andes in South America, and ran from Canada in the north to southern Mexico in the south," said Schellart. (ANI)
This is a list of tectonic plates on Earth. Tectonic plates are pieces of the Earth's crust and uppermost mantle, together referred to as the lithosphere. The plates are around 100 km (60 miles) thick and consist of two principal types of material: oceanic crust (also called sima from silicon and magnesium) and continental crust (sial from silicon and aluminium). The composition of the two types of crust differs markedly, with basaltic rocks ("mafic") dominating oceanic crust, while continental crust consists principally of lower density granitic rocks ("felsic").

The following tectonic plates currently exist on the Earth's surface with roughly definable boundaries.

[edit] Primary plates

These seven plates comprise the bulk of the seven continent's and the Pacific Ocean.

African Plate Antarctic Plate Eurasian Plate Indo-Australian Plate North American Plate Pacific Plate South American Plate

Why tectonic plates move: Heat in earth's core causes tectonic plates to drift the way they do. Hot spots deep in the Earth cause convection currents in the mantle. Because tectonic plates are right above the mantle, the currents cause the plates to move very slowly. According to plate tectonic theory, the surface of the Earth is made up of large plates that move over long periods of time. Their movement is caused by heat dissipation.

How Do Convection Currents Cause The Plates To Move?

The rock of the upper mantle known as the asthenosphere is plastic-like but not molten. It acts like a conveyor belt, moving heat from Earth's interior upward, and cooled material downward in a big loop. New crust is created where mantle material reaches the surface at places called midocean ridges. Older, colder oceanic crust is subducted and drawn into the mantle, completing the loop.
How Fast do Plates Move? Exactly how far they move depends on many things that are happening in the earth's core. They normally range in moving only the tiniest bit like less than a centimeter to moving about 5 inches per year.

Theory of Plate Tectonics

According to plate tectonics, Earth's crust is divided into plates. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge marks the boundary between the American plates and the European-African plates. Tectonic plates float on the mantle which is in a slowly flowing plastic like state. Hot spots deep in Earth's core cause very slow convection currents in the mantle. Because continental plates float on the mantel these convection currents move the plates very slowly.

Read on

Tectonic and Geologic Activity on Venus Plate Tectonics and Geology in the Solar System Understanding Mountains and Volcanoes

Most tectonic activity occurs at the boundaries between tectonic plates. For example, the Pacific rim, called the ring of fire, forms the boundary of the Pacific plate and has more earthquake and volcanic activity than any other region on Earth.

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is an example of plates drifting apart. Lava flows upward from the mantle, forms undersea volcanoes, and spreads outward. Continental plates can also collide. In these cases continents are squeezed upward to form mountains. The Himalayas are a good example. Continental plates can collide with oceanic plates such as in the west coast of South America. The continental plate forms high mountains, the Andes in South America. The oceanic plate forms a subduction zone in which the plate material flows back into the mantle to complete the convection current.

Plate Tectonics Unifies Geology and Geophysics

Prior to the emergence of plate tectonics, geologists could describe individual geologic features. They could not however very well explain the causes of and the connections between different types of geologic features. Plate tectonic theory provided both a mechanism for Wegener's continental drift hypothesis and an underlying theory that explained Earth's geologic structure and evolution. This theory provided the type of unification to geology that evolutionary theory provided to biology. Plate tectonic activity often results in natural disasters such as volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis. As geophysicists and geologists increase their understanding of tectonic activity, they may eventually learn to predict when these disasters will occur. These predictions could save many lives.

Further Reading
Read more at Suite101: Understand Plate Tectonics & Continental Drift: Geological Mountain Building Forces Cause Earthquakes and Volcanoes http://www.suite101.com/content/understand-plate-tectonics-continental-drifta93735#ixzz1JwSqRmdL