Can an earthquake cause a volcano?
Most earthquakes have nothing to do with volcanoes; however, small earthquakes often accompany volcanic activity. Scientists who try to forecast volcanic activity rely heavily on interpreting changes in the rate and character of small earthquakes. So, while earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are sometimes caused by the same natural phenomona, the earthquakes do not ’cause’ the volcano. Q: Why are earthquakes common around the Pacific rim? A: Even though small earthquakes can occur almost anywhere, most earthquakes–large or small–take place at the edges of tectonic plates, which move past one another at rates of a few cm per year. Altogether the earth is covered by approximately 20 such plates; the largest of these plates lies beneath most of the Pacific Ocean; while two others share a boundary with western South America. Thus, almost the entire Pacific rim happens to lie along a plate boundary. Q: Has human activity triggered any deadly earthquakes around the world? A: Human activity
