--earthquake fundamental dynamics--

   i had some thoughts about this issue many, many, years ago, my recent post involving
tsunami's brought them back to mind...

 the concept--

  well, the earth has many fault-lines, at these joints, where one part of the earth's crust meets the other, one is moving upward, towards the surface( to create a mountain), and one is going down, to the earth's core( to be re-melted into magma, that flows)...

  the friction at these lines, is what holds them tightly together, so, when an earthquake happens, this contact( at an angle...45 degrees??), is momentarily broken, and one plate slips against the other( one goes up, and one goes down)...i suggest, the rumbling we feel, is likely the jarring action of the plates, loosing contact, and then regaining it, thereby vibrating both, huge plates, in a "harmonic" that is based on the rhythm of the friction being lost, and then regained( in a regular cycle)--

  in this way, we can see the two plates of the earth's crust, as "ginormous"( not giant, not enormous...bigger), tuning forks, one mimics the vibrations of the other( from movement), as we live on the side of both tuning forks, this is an issue...for we must endure the resulting harmonics, each plate incurs, each time friction is lost between the two--

volcanic natural engineering factors--

  these fault-lines, at the tectonic plates, also give rise to another phenomenon, the volcano...likely a result of a spot in the earth's plates, that has lost contact all together, between the two, like a "knot-hole" in two planks of wood( perhaps in a flat-bottom boat??), the gap between the boards is strong, all along the joint, except at the "knot-hole"( missing wood), this hole heals up( in a volcano), from the magma cooling, but, after a certain amount of pressure is reached, in the liquid magma below( from a swell of magma, or an earthquake...that causes plate movement), the plug is blown-out, or begins to leak, thereby causing the volcano to erupt magma, that flows out between the two tectonic plates, cools, and increases the size of the volcano( mountain)--

  conclusion--

    the final question at hand, seems to be, what causes an earthquake, and can we stop one...as i feel the process of "continental shift", has been going on for a very long time, and will continue to do so, an earthquake can not be stopped, due to the phenomenon being an important part of the earth's development/maintenance( tectonic plates move up, to make mountains, and they go down, to replenish magma in the earth's core)...although, in the case of a volcano, i suggest we can test/derive, the quality of the plug( "knot-hole"), in the fault-line, via core-sampling, and sonic testing of the depth of the plug...in addition to our current( wise), practice of monitoring the vibrations( harmonics), of the fault-line( tuning-forks), to predict volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes--

   as for what causes an earthquake, i feel the answer is about changes in pressure, of the magma in the earth's core, possibly from cooler "tectonic plate material", breaking off the underside of a plate, then hitting( splashing into), the ultra-hot magma, causing a swell, and resulting in a pressure spike, against the underside of the two tectonic plates, that are against each other at the "fault-line"...

   therefore, i view the earth's crust as a delicate "stale-mate", between being hurled out into space, and sucked( pulled), to the very center of the core...this balance is somewhat delicate, if viewed in giant terms...in my opinion, the pressure of the magma, is the third contingent, that can break the tie, momentarily, and cause "continental drift"/earthquakes, to occur--

   i hope these thoughts are of use to scientists, attempting to make life for us all living on the "tuning forks", less hazardous...

--best wishes, john kruschke--