To understand earthquakes, think of the Earth as a big roun egg and imagine that the shell has been cracked. This cracked outer layer of the Earth (the eggshell) is called the lithosphere, and it is divided into huge pieces called plates.
Underneath the lithosphere is a softer layer called the asthenosphere. The plates of the cracked lithosphere are constantly gliding over this softer layer, moving away from one another, toward one another, or past one another. These plates average about 60 miles thick. Earthquakes result when plates collide.
The cracks in the lithosphere that separate the plates are called faults. It is along these lines that many earthquakes occur as the plates smash into each other or grind alongside each other.
Underneath the lithosphere is a softer layer called the asthenosphere. The plates of the cracked lithosphere are constantly gliding over this softer layer, moving away from one another, toward one another, or past one another. These plates average about 60 miles thick. Earthquakes result when plates collide.
The cracks in the lithosphere that separate the plates are called faults. It is along these lines that many earthquakes occur as the plates smash into each other or grind alongside each other.
