If epicenters of earthquakes are located on a map of the world, where would you find the greatest frequency?

Question

If the epicenters of earthquakes are located on a map of the world, where would you expect to find the greatest frequency of quakes?
a.) only along transform faults
b.) only along trailing edges of plates
c.) in association with volcanoes
d.) along plate boundaries

Answer 1

d.) along plate boundaries

Earthquakes occur all over the world; however, most occur on active faults that define the major tectonic plates of the earth. 90% of the world's earthquakes occur along these plate boundaries (that represent about 10% of the surface of the earth). The "Ring of Fire" circling the Pacific Ocean, and including Canada's west coast, is one of the most active areas in the world.

Answer 2

You will find them on d) on plate boundaries because any boundary, whether convergent, divergent, or transform, is slowly moving in a different directions in random "jumps" that are the earthquakes. These plates don't move until enough pressure has built up to cause the plates to jump apart (divergent), together(convergent), or in different horizontal directions (transform). When these jumps happen, earthquakes result. Some plates jump too far, and after the earthquake, an aftershock occurs, which is the plate moving back to a postion with less pressure.

Answer 3

Over 70 percent of the earth is covered by the seas, so that is where most of the earthquakes are.