A fracture between two plates.

A fracture between two plates.

• A. Fault
• B. Earthquakes
• C. Tsunami
• D. Volcanoes

Answer: (A)

A fracture between two plates is called a fault. In plate tectonics, rocks crack along faults and the blocks on either side can move relative to each other. When stress builds up and the rocks slip suddenly, energy is released as an earthquake along that fault. Tsunamis are large ocean waves caused by disturbances of the ocean surface (often from underwater earthquakes or volcanic activity), not the fracture itself. Volcanoes involve magma erupting through openings in the crust, a different process. So the fracture between two plates is described as a fault.

A fracture between two plates is called a fault. In plate tectonics, rocks crack along faults and the blocks on either side can move relative to each other. When stress builds up and the rocks slip suddenly, energy is released as an earthquake along that fault. Tsunamis are large ocean waves caused by disturbances of the ocean surface (often from underwater earthquakes or volcanic activity), not the fracture itself. Volcanoes involve magma erupting through openings in the crust, a different process. So the fracture between two plates is described as a fault.