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# Earthquakes & Volcanoes ## Supporting Details ### Earthquake Risk * Geologists can determine the risk by locating active faults. * Earthquakes are most likely to occur along plate boundaries. * In the US: California, Washington, Alaska. * In the world: "Ring of Fire" ### Why do earthqu...

# Earthquakes & Volcanoes ## Supporting Details ### Earthquake Risk * Geologists can determine the risk by locating active faults. * Earthquakes are most likely to occur along plate boundaries. * In the US: California, Washington, Alaska. * In the world: "Ring of Fire" ### Why do earthquakes occur along plate boundaries? * As a result of convection currents in the mantle, the lithospheric plates are in a state of constant slow motion (think fingernail growth). * Where these plate boundaries meet and crash into or slide past one another, friction builds stress in the rock. This then releases energy in the form of seismic waves, which carry energy. ### Earthquakes at Convergent Plate Boundaries * At convergent plate boundaries, where two continental plates collide, earthquakes are deep and also very powerful. * In general, the deepest and most powerful earthquakes occur at plate collisions (or subduction) zones at convergent plate boundaries.