If earthquakes happen when tectonic plates press against each other, then do fissures get bigger?
In: Planetary Science
Earthquakes can happen when tectonic plates *move* — it doesn’t necessarily have to be the plates “pressing against each other.” It can be the plates moving away from each other. It can be the plates sliding against each other, or it can be the plates running headfirst into each other.
A *fault* results from the latter two scenarios (sliding or collision). A *rift* results from the first scenario — two tectonic plates moving away from each other.
A *fissure* is just a crack and is typically much more localized than a fault or rift. It *can* happen because of tectonic plate movement and earthquakes, but it also can have *other* causes, such as volcanic pressure or receding ground water or human drilling.
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