Topic: Plate Tectonics

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What makes a planet livable? Five things scientists look for.

Scientists have so far detected at least 550 planets outside the solar system – and another 2,000-plus await confirmation. But how to pick out the ones that may be Earth-like havens for life? Here's what one team looks for in assessing any planet's potential habitability and its similarity to Earth's properties.
In Pictures: Space photos of the day: Currents
In Pictures: Space photos of the day: Tsunamis

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Indonesia earthquake: Why no tsunami this time?

Wednesday's Indonesia earthquake was similar in magnitude to the devastating 2004 quake, but there was no tsunami. The difference? Location.
Mexico earthquake: How quake-prone is the region?

Mexico earthquake history shows that the same faults that caused Tuesday's Mexico earthquake can produce even bigger events, like one that struck in 1985.
Growth of Himalayas slowing down, study finds

The collision between Eurasia and the Indian subcontinent, which created the world's highest mountain range, is slowing down, a new study has found.
What makes a planet livable? Five things scientists look for.

Scientists have so far detected at least 550 planets outside the solar system – and another 2,000-plus await confirmation. But how to pick out the ones that may be Earth-like havens for life? Here's what one team looks for in assessing any planet's potential habitability and its similarity to Earth's properties.
Asian, American continents about to collide (in 50 million years or so)

A team of Yale geologists predict that Asia and the Americas will smash into each other, forming a new supercontinent dubbed 'Amasia.'
Earth's next supercontinent dubbed Amasia, when to expect it

Supercontinents are giant landmasses made up of more than one continental core. The best-known supercontinent, Pangaea, was once the world's only continent — it was on it that the dinosaurs arose — and was the progenitor of today's continents.
Turkey earthquake: Why the country is such a hot spot for seismic activity

Turkey earthquake does not surprise seismologists. Turkey is, in effect, caught in a geophysical vise between the Arabian plate, inching northward, and the Eurasian plate, the immovable object.
India earthquake: What makes the region so volatile?

A magnitude 6.9 Himalayan quake on the border between India and Nepal, highlights the extreme hazard the region faces as enormous patches of Earth's crust crash into each other.
East Coast earthquake: How does a 5.9 temblor happen in Virginia?

Fault lines in the East are not as apparent or as active as in the West, but certain stresses can lead to a rupture. Tuesday's East Coast Earthquake was the biggest in 100 years.
Japan earthquake: magnitude 6.7 aftershock rocks Honshu

Japan earthquake: The magnitude 6.7 quake is the 75th aftershock of at least magnitude 6.0 following the devastating March earthquake in Japan.
In Pictures: Space photos of the day: Currents
Quartz could hold key to explaining earthquakes

Why do some areas of the earth's crust repeatedly swell and crack, while others don't? The answer is in the quartz, a new study suggests.
Shinmoedake volcano: Japan's explosive geology explained

Shinmoedake volcano: The Shinmoedake cone on the Kirishima mountain range erupted on Sunday, the largest blast from the volcano in 52 years.
8.9 earthquake: The science behind Japan's quake

8.9 earthquake: A series of large foreshocks preceded Japan's earthquake, the fifth largest ever recorded.
In Pictures: Space photos of the day: Tsunamis
An earthquake in Indiana? How does that happen?

The 3.8-magnitude earthquake in Indiana that rattled residents – OK, maybe some teacups – hit one of the seismically quietest parts of the country.
Indonesia tsunami and volcano: why the region is so violent

Indonesians once again are having to cope with the hazards of living on a geologically restless archipelago. On Monday, an earthquake generated a tsunami, and a volcano erupted on Tuesday.
Why some earthquakes unleash tsunamis and others don't

Two earthquakes struck just months apart along the same fault. If one produced the deadliest tsunami in modern history, why didn't the second?
Mexico earthquake shakes buildings as far as Mexico City

A Mexico earthquake, magnitude 6.0, centered in the southern state of Oaxaca and shook buildings 300 miles north in Mexico City. One person died in a quake that was shallower and weaker than the Haiti and Chile earthquakes.
California earthquake moved town 31 inches south

California earthquake: NASA radar images show that the powerful quake that struck Baja California in April moved Calexico, a city on the US-Mexico border, some 31 inches to the south.
New study could explain why volcanoes form far from the edges of tectonic plates

According to the old model of how volcanoes grow, the volcanoes of the Mediterranean shouldn't exist. A new model could explain how they got there.
Mt. St. Helens and the Cascade Volcanic Arc: Iceland in America

Mt. St. Helens erupted 30 years ago. With an Icelandic volcano causing global problems today, the Mt. St. Helens anniversary is a reminder of volcanic activity in America's Lower 48 states.
Was LA earthquake a precursor to the 'Big One'?

The 4.4 magnitude LA earthquake rattled the city Tuesday morning. Experts say it is impossible to tell whether small quakes are a sign that other bigger ones may follow.
Haiti earthquake: Why the Caribbean is a mini ring of fire

The forces that led to the Haiti earthquake are a reminder that the idyllic Caribbean is one of the more geologically active spots on earth, and that a powerful earthquake could strike the region again.
The geology underlying the devastating Haiti earthquake

The same earthquake fault that lies under Haiti also runs through the Dominican Republic. Geologists warn that the Haiti quake – at the Enriquilla-Plantain Garden Fault – may have added strain elsewhere and more quakes are possible.