9781422269534

Watch this amazing video called Earthquakes 101 from National Geographic!

Tectonic plates have shaped the Earth’s surface and have created some of the most beautiful geological formations on our planet. The Biggest Fault on Earth The biggest fault on earth is actually under water! Called the Weber Deep, this is an ocean abyss that measures 4.47 miles (7.2 km) deep. Specifically it is located in the Banda Sea, off the coast of Indonesia, and scientists have known about it for over 100 years. The Weber Deep is the deepest point in the ocean that is not in a trench. Trenches are formed during the subduction of two tectonic plates—when one slides under the other. The Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean is the deepest trench on earth. The Weber Deep was formed differently. It is a deep abyss caused by a fault that ripped through the ocean floor to form a forearc basin, which is a depression in the ocean floor.

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Facing the Weather: Earthquakes