3) Which of the following may move and cause an earthquake to occur?A: AsthenosphereB: LithosphereC: PlateD: Mantle
Geography · Middle School · Wed Jan 13 2021
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C. Plate.
Earthquakes typically occur when the Earth's plates, which are part of the lithosphere, move.
The lithosphere consists of the crust and the upper part of the mantle.
The Earth's surface is divided into several large and small tectonic plates that float on the semi-fluid asthenosphere beneath them.
The asthenosphere is a part of the mantle that behaves plastically and can flow very slowly.
When tectonic plates move relative to each other, they may slide past one another, collide, or move apart.
Stress builds up at the edges of these plates until it exceeds the strength of rocks at a fault line, and then the energy is released in the form of an earthquake.