Why do most earthquakes occur at tectonic plate boundaries? a. The rock within a tectonic plate is stronger and less prone to deformation. b. Earthquakes occur where movement of tectonic plates transfers energy to the rock. c. Earthquakes are restricted to locations where magma can reach the surface and impart energy to rocks. d. Earthquakes occur when one plate overrides another, a process exclusive to plate boundaries.

b. Earthquakes occur where movement of tectonic plates transfers energy to the rock.

Extra: Earthquakes are a result of the sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere, which creates seismic waves. Most earthquakes are caused by the movement of tectonic plates. The Earth's lithosphere is divided into large and small tectonic plates, which are constantly moving, albeit very slowly. When these plates interact with one another at their boundaries, they can move past each other, collide, or slide beneath one another. This movement can cause stress to build up in the rocks at the plate boundaries.

The movement of tectonic plates occurs in three main ways: 1. Divergent boundaries - where two plates move away from each other, creating new crust as magma rises to the surface, which is typical of mid-ocean ridges. 2. Convergent boundaries - where two plates move towards each other, which can lead to one plate being forced under another (subduction) or the uplift of both plates. 3. Transform boundaries - where two plates slide past each other horizontally.

When the stress exceeds the strength of the rocks at the plate boundary, it is released in the form of an earthquake. This release of energy can occur suddenly and without any prior warning, resulting in the ground shaking that we feel during an earthquake. While earthquakes can occur within plates – these are known as intraplate earthquakes – the majority happen at the plate boundaries due to the intense stress associated with the interactions between plates. The other options (a, c, and d) do not exclusively account for the occurrence of earthquakes or are too restrictive in their explanation.