earthquakes

Thesis: Earthquakes have been a natural part of Earth for many years and are caused by a shift in the Earth’s tectonic plates. Tectonic plates shift when two separated pieces of Earth’s crust push together because of the pressure of the hot air below them pushing up on the plates from the heat of the Earth’s core. This pressure must be released somehow, so when the pressure becomes too great for the plates to withstand, one part of a plate gives way to the pressure by rising above the other part of the tectonic plate. This then causes the top plate to overlap and collide with the other plate. This collision causes a massive shake on Earth, which we know most commonly as an earthquake, or seismic activity. When tectonic plates that are not submerged underwater shift, it causes an earthquake on land. When tectonic plates that are submerged underwater by a large lake or an ocean shift, it creates a tsunami. These two reactions can cause different sizes of disaster. The sum of the damage created by an earthquake is measured on the Richter scale, where a 1.0 earthquake has done the least amount of damage, and a 10.0 earthquake has done the most amount of damage. A 10.0 earthquake has never been recorded, as according to http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Whatareearthquakesmeasuredby . The sum of the damage done by a tsunami is measured by a TSUNAMETER, which was developed by the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, as according to http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Howcantsunamisbemeasured&altQ=Whataretsunamismeasuredby&isLookUp=1#Q=what%20are%20tsunamis%20measured%20by . Tsunamis are ranked on a scale of 1.0 to 10.0, just like earthquakes. According to http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Whatisthescalefortsunamis , though, a tsunami can only be caused by a 6.5 seismic movement on the Richter scale. My goal in writing this report is to conclude if we should or should not geothermal drill into the Earth to receive power to our power grids.

Recommendation: My recommendation as relating