Why do tectonic plates shift?

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Why do they move and cause earthquakes/tsunamis?

In: Physics

2 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Because water pressure and lava cause changing pressure areas, moving the plates. When they clash with other plates (that aren’t aligned right to stop the shift) thousands of tons of pressure is being released. That transfer of energy is what causes earthquakes or tsunamis.

TL;DR Big things move fast ha ha *drowns in house*

Anonymous 0 Comments

Boats float in the ocean whose currents move the boats around. It’s essentially the same idea, except that magma is way more viscous than water and the plates are also much larger than most boats so the speed and timeline of things is slower. However, their size is also what makes the consequences of their movement larger.