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__**Earthquakes and Seismic Destruction**__ Earthquakes, or temblors, can be tremendously destructive. Earthquakes occur thousands of times every day around the world. On the Earth, most of our Earthquakes occur on the rim of the Pacific Ocean, also called "The Ring of Fire". Earthquakes usually occur when tectonic plates, or giant rock slabs, collide or slide against eachother. When immense stress is build up between the plates then quickly released it sends massive vibrations, also called seismic waves. Other Earthquakes can occur from far away fault zones when the plates are stretched or squeezed. Earthquakes measuring from 3-5 is a minor or light quake. Earthquakes coming in at a 5-7 is a moderate to strong and a 7-8 is a major quake. Earthquakes are most likely to have Transform Boundaries. A Transform Boundary is when plates are sliding past each other. Some examples of Transform Boundaries are the San Andreas Fault, North Anatolian Fault, and the fracture zones along mid-ocean ridges. Almost 10,000 people die a year from Earthquakes. Falling Buildings cause the most death. Earthquakes cause much destruction and are very dangerous.

__**Volcanos**__  When thick magma and large amounts of gas build up under the surface, eruptions can occur, throwing lava, rocks, and ash into the air. If there is less gas and more thick magma it usually means less eruption. Less eruption usually causes streams of lava to slowly ooze out from the vent. The mountain mounds that form after volcanos erupt, are the materials that come out of the volcano and harden. Volcanos cause much destruction. They also form our rocks, also known as igneous rocks. A volcano is most likely to have a Divergent Boundary. A divergent boundary is when the sea floor spreads apart. Some examples of Divergent Boundaries are the Mid- Atlantic Ridge and the East Pacific Rise.

__**Plate Tectonics**__  There are a few major plates and dozens of smaller, or minor plates. The six major plates are named for the contients. Some are known as the North American, African, Atlantic, and Pacific plates. The minor plates are no less important than the major plates when it comes to shaping the Earth. The minor plate, Juan de Puca, is very responsible for the volcanos that dot the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Plate Tectonics make-up Earth's outer shell, also called the lithosphere. Plate Tectonics are very important to Earth.

__**Citations**__ //National Geographic // . Environment Site Map, 2009. Web. 3 Nov. 2009. .

//National Geographic // . Environment Site Map, 2009. Web. 4 Nov. 2009. .

//National Geographic // . Environment Site Map, 2009. Web. 4 Nov. 2009. .