Earthquake
Shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves.
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Lithosphere
Rigid, outermost shell of a terrestrial-type planet or natural satellite.
Subducting lithosphere remains rigid (as demonstrated by deep earthquakes along Wadati–Benioff zone) to a depth of about 600 km.
Seismic wave
Seismic waves are waves of energy that travel through Earth's layers, and are a result of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, magma movement, large landslides and large man-made explosions that give out low-frequency acoustic energy.
Transform fault
Fault along a plate boundary where the motion is predominantly horizontal.
Slip along transform faults does not increase the distance between the ridges it separates; the distance remains constant in earthquakes because the ridges are spreading centers.
Megathrust earthquake
Forced underneath another.
Since 1900, all earthquakes of magnitude 9.0 or greater have been megathrust earthquakes.
Focal mechanism
The focal mechanism of an earthquake describes the deformation in the source region that generates the seismic waves.
Subduction
Geological process in which the oceanic lithosphere is recycled into the Earth's mantle at convergent boundaries.
Earthquakes are common along the subduction zone, and fluids released by the subducting plate trigger volcanism in the overriding plate.
Tsunami
Series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake.
Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions (including detonations, landslides, glacier calvings, meteorite impacts and other disturbances) above or below water all have the potential to generate a tsunami.
Epicenter
The epicenter, epicentre or epicentrum in seismology is the point on the Earth's surface directly above a hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or an underground explosion originates.
Seismometer
A seismometer is an instrument that responds to ground noises and shaking such as caused by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and explosions.
Aseismic creep
In geology, aseismic creep or fault creep is measurable surface displacement along a fault in the absence of notable earthquakes.