Background: Almost all earthquakes occur at plate boundaries. All types of plate boundaries have earthquakes. Convection within the Earth causes the plates to move. As the plates move, stresses build. When the stresses build too much, the rocks break. The break releases the energy that was stored in the rocks. The sudden release of energy is an earthquake. During an earthquake the rocks usually move several centimeters. Rarely, they may move as much as a few meters. Elastic rebound theory describes how earthquakes occur ( Figure below ).

Situation: Two nearby villages are experiencing earthquakes. Bow village gets a lot of earthquakes annually, while Arrow village gets only a few.

Question: Which village gets more convection within the Earth?
Answer: Bow

Situation: Two nearby villages are experiencing earthquakes. Bow village gets a lot of earthquakes annually, while Arrow village gets only a few.

Question: Which village gets less convection within the Earth?
Answer: Arrow

Situation: Two nearby villages are experiencing earthquakes. Bow village gets a lot of earthquakes annually, while Arrow village gets only a few.

Question: Which village experiences fewer plates moving?
Answer: Arrow

Situation: Two nearby villages are experiencing earthquakes. Bow village gets a lot of earthquakes annually, while Arrow village gets only a few.

Question: Which village experiences more plates moving?
Answer: Bow

Situation: Two nearby villages are experiencing earthquakes. Bow village gets a lot of earthquakes annually, while Arrow village gets only a few.

Question: Which village experiences more stress build up in the rocks?
Answer: Bow

Situation: Two nearby villages are experiencing earthquakes. Bow village gets a lot of earthquakes annually, while Arrow village gets only a few.

Question: Which village experiences less stress build up in the rocks?
Answer: Arrow

Situation: Two nearby villages are experiencing earthquakes. Bow village gets a lot of earthquakes annually, while Arrow village gets only a few.

Question: Which village experiences fewer sudden releases of energy?
Answer: Arrow

Situation: Two nearby villages are experiencing earthquakes. Bow village gets a lot of earthquakes annually, while Arrow village gets only a few.

Question: Which village experiences more sudden releases of energy?
Answer: Bow

Situation: Two nearby villages are experiencing earthquakes. Bow village gets a lot of earthquakes annually, while Arrow village gets only a few.

Question: Which village experiences more rocks breaking?
Answer: Bow

Situation: Two nearby villages are experiencing earthquakes. Bow village gets a lot of earthquakes annually, while Arrow village gets only a few.

Question: Which village experiences fewer rocks breaking?
Answer: Arrow

Situation: Tim the seismologist studied data from two cities: Tokyo and Kansas City. Tokyo experienced many more earthquakes than Kansas City.

Question: Which city is located closer to plate boundaries?
Answer: Tokyo

Situation: Tim the seismologist studied data from two cities: Tokyo and Kansas City. Tokyo experienced many more earthquakes than Kansas City.

Question: Which city is located farther from plate boundaries?
Answer: Kansas City

Situation: Tim the seismologist studied data from two cities: Tokyo and Kansas City. Tokyo experienced many more earthquakes than Kansas City.

Question: Which city experiences more energy release because of rocks breaking?
Answer: Tokyo

Situation: Tim the seismologist studied data from two cities: Tokyo and Kansas City. Tokyo experienced many more earthquakes than Kansas City.

Question: Which city experiences less energy release because of rocks breaking?
Answer: Kansas City

Situation: Tim the seismologist studied data from two cities: Tokyo and Kansas City. Tokyo experienced many more earthquakes than Kansas City.

Question: Which city experiences rocks moving several centimeters during earthquakes?
Answer: Tokyo

Situation: Tim the seismologist studied data from two cities: Tokyo and Kansas City. Tokyo experienced many more earthquakes than Kansas City.

Question: Which city doesn't experience rocks moving several centimeters during earthquakes?
Answer: Kansas City

Situation: Tim the seismologist studied data from two cities: Tokyo and Kansas City. Tokyo experienced many more earthquakes than Kansas City.

Question: Which city doesn't experience more convection within the Earth?
Answer: Kansas City

Situation: Tim the seismologist studied data from two cities: Tokyo and Kansas City. Tokyo experienced many more earthquakes than Kansas City.

Question: Which city experiences more convection within the Earth?
Answer: Tokyo

Situation: Tim the seismologist studied data from two cities: Tokyo and Kansas City. Tokyo experienced many more earthquakes than Kansas City.

Question: Which city experiences rocks moving a few meters?
Answer: Tokyo

Situation: Tim the seismologist studied data from two cities: Tokyo and Kansas City. Tokyo experienced many more earthquakes than Kansas City.

Question: Which city doesn't experience rocks moving a few meters?
Answer: Kansas City