Question

Earthquakes can occur all over the world, but earthquakes are more prevalent in certain areas. The image below shows black dots where earthquakes have occurred around the world. Which does not explain what causes earthquakes to occur?

A) plates moving apart
B) plates colliding
C) plates moving past one another
D) plates remaining still

Answer 1

D) plates remaining still

Step-by-step explanation:

Earthquakes are primarily caused by the movement of tectonic plates, which can occur in three ways: plates moving apart (divergent boundaries), plates colliding (convergent boundaries), and plates moving past one another (transform boundaries). When the plates grind or scrape against each other, stress builds up until it is released in the form of an earthquake. Therefore, plates remaining still would not cause the stress buildup that leads to earthquakes.