earthquakes

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Would underground explosions be the force that causes the plates to shift during an earthquake?

-- Christi Stahl (cstahl_7@hotmail.com), February 27, 2001

Answers

An underground explosion could cause a shockwave similar to an earthquake, but no the individual plates wouldn't move because of explosive activity in the top of the crust. It could move the material that the shockwave comes into contact with though, causing a similar effect as an earthquake.

-- Johanna Besaw (jbesaw1@oswego.edu), February 28, 2001.

although explosions in the surface may cause the people and surrounding environment to react like it was an earthquake, most earthquakes are caused by slipping at plate boundaries, mostly transform boundaries.

-- Jared Cestaro (cestaro@oswego.edu), April 19, 2001.

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