The images were draped over a digital elevation map which was amplified by a factor of two. The images were rendered by the Scientific Visualization Studio at the Goddard Space Flight Center. The SeaWiFS sensor is carried aboard the OrbView-2 satellite. The Earth is formed of several layers that have very different physical and chemical properties. The outer layer, which averages about 30 miles in thickness, consists of about a dozen large, irregularly shaped plates that slide over, under and past each other on top of the partly molten inner layer.
Most earthquakes occur at the boundaries where the plates meet.
In fact, the locations of earthquakes and the kinds of ruptures they produce help scientists define the plate boundaries. Earthquakes that occur along the plates are shown in yellow, the plate boundaries are shown in blue, and volcanos are shown in red. This is NOT a finished production but does contain some narration.