Most earthquakes occur at fault
zones, where tectonic plates – giant
rock slabs that make up the Earth’s
upper layer – collide or slide against
each other.
80 percent of all the planet's
earthquakes occur along the
rim of the Pacific Ocean, called
the "Ring of Fire”
This photo shows the main components of an earthquake
Using the "Anatomy of an
Earthquake" diagram, do the
following:

describe the relationship between the
fault and the plates
Earthquakes!!
The earth’s crust is broken up into many
rocky plates, like pieces of a puzzle. These
plates are constantly moving, albeit very
slowly, because of the earth’s molten mantle
underneath. As the plates move past each
other, along fault zones, they sometimes get
caught and pressure builds up. When the
plates finally give and slip due to the
increased pressure, energy is released as
seismic waves, causing the ground to shake.
This is an earthquake.
Three Major Fault Types
Normal
Plates are forced apart each other, usually
forming a Rift Zone. This is common in
ocean floors where new floors are created.
An example is the Mid Atlantic Ridge, picture
above.
Thrust
One plate is forced over another plate during
movement creating a thrust fault.
Strike-Slip (Reverse) Fault
Unlike normal and thrust, the plates here
slip past each other.

describe the relationship between the
focus and the epicenter
The earth’s crust is broken up into
many rocky plates, like pieces of a
puzzle. These plates are constantly
moving, albeit very slowly, because
of the earth’s molten mantle
underneath. As the plates move past
each other, along fault zones, they
sometimes get caught and pressure
builds up. When the plates finally give
and slip due to the increased
pressure, energy is released as
seismic waves, causing the ground to
shake. This is an earthquake.