← all shorts

Concept

Megathrust earthquake

The most powerful type of earthquake, occurring at subduction zones where one tectonic plate is forced under another. These quakes involve the sudden release of centuries of accumulated elastic strain, often resulting in massive vertical displacement of the sea floor and catastrophic tsunamis. The 1700 Cascadia event and the 2011 Tohoku quake are both examples of this geological phenomenon.

Mentioned in 1 article