Understanding Earthquakes and Tsunamis

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the causes of earthquakes, particularly in relation to plate tectonics, and seeks a comprehensive explanation of the earthquake that triggered a tsunami. Participants explore various factors contributing to seismic activity and the nature of tsunamis.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions whether plate movements are the sole cause of earthquakes and asks for additional explanations.
  • Another participant provides detailed information about the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, describing the geological processes involved, including the subduction of the India Plate beneath the Burma Plate and the resulting stress buildup leading to earthquakes and tsunamis.
  • Some participants suggest that other causes of earthquakes include magma movement in volcanoes and the effects of large water masses behind dams or fluid injection/extraction in the Earth's crust.
  • A participant points out that a tsunami is an event rather than a location, prompting a light-hearted response from another participant.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the causes of earthquakes, with some acknowledging plate tectonics as a primary factor while others introduce alternative causes. The discussion on the nature of tsunamis also shows a lack of consensus on terminology.

Contextual Notes

Some claims about the causes of earthquakes depend on specific geological conditions and may not apply universally. The discussion includes various assumptions about the mechanisms of earthquakes and tsunamis that remain unresolved.

PRINCESS NOOR
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Dear Sir,

this an interruptions i would like to share and discuss with you.

1.is right that the main reason behind an earthquake is the plate's movements?
is there any reason other than the one which mentioned above.

2.i want i full explanation for the earthquake that occurred in tsunami and how it occurred?

with my regard
 
Earth sciences news on Phys.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake

The earthquake was unusually large in geographical extent. An estimated 1200 km (750 miles) of faultline slipped about 15 m (45 ft) along the subduction zone where the India Plate dives under the Burma Plate. The slip did not happen instantaneously but took place in two phases over a period of several minutes. Seismographic data indicate that the first phase involved the formation of a rupture about 400 km long and 100 km wide, located 30km beneath the sea bed. The rupture proceeded at a speed of about 2 km/s, beginning off the coast of Aceh and proceeding north-westerly over about 100 seconds. A pause of about another 100 seconds took place before the rupture continued northwards towards the Andaman and Nicobar Islands [7] (http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/feature/story/0,13026,1383675,00.html).

The India Plate is part of the great Indo-Australian Plate, which underlies the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal, and is drifting northeast at an average of 6 cm/year (2 inches/year). The India Plate meets the Burma Plate (which is considered a portion of the great Eurasian Plate) at the Sunda Trench. At this point the India Plate subducts the Burma Plate which includes the Nicobar Islands, the Andaman Islands and northern Sumatra. The India Plate slips deeper and deeper beneath the Burma Plate until the increasing temperature and pressure turns the subducting edge of the India Plate into magma which eventually pushes the magma above it out through the volcanoes (see Volcanic arc). This process is interrupted by the locking of the plates for several centuries until the build up of stress causes their release resulting in a massive earthquake and tsunami. The volcanic activity that results as the Indo-Australian plate subducts the Eurasian plate has created the Sunda Arc.
 
PRINCESS NOOR said:
1.is right that the main reason behind an earthquake is the plate's movements?
Is there any reason other than the one which mentioned above.
Yes, there are some other causes :

1. Some earthquakes are caused by the movement of magma in volcanoes, and such quakes can be an early warning of volcanic eruptions.

2. A rare few earthquakes have been associated with the build-up of large masses of water behind dams, (such as the Kariba Dam in Zambia, Africa) and with the injection or extraction of fluids into the Earth's crust (e.g. at certain geothermal power plants and at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal).
 
PRINCESS NOOR said:
2.i want i full explanation for the earthquake that occurred in tsunami and how it occurred?

You realize that a tsunami is an event, not a place, right?
 
You realize that a tsunami is an event, not a place, right?


loooooooooool :smile:
 

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