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March 25, 2007
President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Ave
NW Washington D.C. 20500
Saturday March 25, 2007
Dear Mr. President
I am very pleased you have taken the time from your busy schedule to read my report.
Below you will find information on earthquakes as you requested.
Most earthquakes have been occurring around mainly Japan, China, Indonesia, Malaysia,
and much around eastern Asia. Also many have occurred around the Ring of Fire. Most
earthquakes are more likely to occur at plate boundaries. The plates smash and grind
against each other sometimes causing earthquakes.
You will fine that most places around a volcano, a fault line, or plate boundary are more
prone to earthquakes. There is a total of fifteen plates on the earth. Each of these plates
are constantly moving. When plates collide it’s called a convergent boundary. When to
plates travel away from each other (also form new crust) its call divergent boundary.
When two plates slide past each other it’s called a transform fault.
Yes there is a close relationship between volcanoes and earthquakes. When two plates
collide and form a convergent boundary then thicker layer is forced under the other plate.
This is a subduction zone. As the plate travels deeper into the earths interior it gets hotter
and melts. After it melts it forms magma, since the magma will be less dense than its
surroundings it will be forced upward. When it reaches the earth’s surface it forms a
volcano. Also since these plates are smashing and colliding into each other earthquakes
occur. Basically volcanoes from usually around where many earthquakes start.
Earthquakes occur because of plate movement. They rub, smash, grind, and bang against
each other. Usually earthquakes happen around fault lines because two plates could be
moving in different directions but one gets “caught” on the other. Much pressure is
inflicted in such areas causing a great deal of earthquakes.
I thank you once again for taking time to read this report on earthquakes. I hope I have
answered you questions correctly and that there are no more questions on this subject
Sincerely
Emily B
Lead Scientist of U.S.G.S.