Question

You have recognized from the map that the earthquake zones, volcanoes and mountain ranges overlap. Why is this so?

Answer 1

• The crust, which is the outermost layer of the earth is solid.
• The crust, together with the upper part of the mantle, is the lithosphere.
• The lithosphere exists as several fragments just like the broken shell of an egg.
• Compared to the thickness of the portion from the crust to the inner core, the lithosphere is very thin.
• The portions of the lithosphere which are several thousand kilometers wide and roughly, 100 kilometers thick are called lithospheric plates.
• Whether big or small, each plate contains oceanic as well as continental areas.