User:BenEmC/sandbox

Interplate Earthquake (Final Draft)
An interplate earthquake is an earthquake that occurs at the boundary between two tectonic plates. Earthquakes of this type account for more than 90 percent of the total seismic energy released around the world. If one plate is trying to move past the other, they will be locked until sufficient stress builds up to cause the plates to slip relative to each other. The slipping process creates an earthquake with relative displacement on either side of the fault, resulting in seismic waves which travel through the Earth and along the Earth's surface. Relative plate motion can be lateral as along a transform fault boundary, vertical if along a convergent boundary ( i.e. subduction or thrust/reverse faulting ) or a divergent boundary ( i.e. rift zone or normal faulting ), and oblique, with horizontal and lateral components at the boundary. Interplate earthquakes associated at a subduction boundary are called megathrust earthquake s, which are the most powerful earthquakes.

Intraplate earthquakes are often confused with interplate earthquakes, but are fundamentally different in origin, occurring within a single plate rather than between two tectonic plates on a plate boundary. The specifics of the mechanics by which they occur, as well as the intensity of the stress drop which occurs after the earthquake also differentiate the two types of events. Intraplate earthquakes have, on average, a higher stress drop than that of an interplate earthquake and generally higher intensity.

Mechanics
Mechanically, interplate earthquakes differ from other seismic events in that they are caused by motion at the boundary between two tectonic plates. An interplate earthquake event occurs when the accumulated stress at a tectonic plate boundary are released via brittle failure and displacement along the fault.

There are three types of plate boundaries to consider in the context of interplate earthquake events :


 * Transform Plate Boundary: Where two boundaries slide laterally relative to each other.
 * Divergent Plate Boundary: Where two boundaries move apart.
 * Convergent Plate Boundary: Where one plate moves towards, and potentially subducts beneath, another plate.

Precursory Tremors
Scientists have determined that interplate earthquakes are sometimes preceded by an irregular amount of small tremors. Precursory tremors are often associated with slow slip along a plate boundary. These precursory tremors can sometimes be identified within days or weeks of an interplate earthquake event and allow researchers to anticipate interplate earthquakes and introduce strategies to mitigate damage.

Differences With Interplate Earthquakes
Beyond the inherent mechanical differences leading to interplate earthquake events, these seismic occurrences can be differentiated by other means.

Intensity
Interplate earthquakes differ from intraplate earthquakes in that the intensity of intraplate earthquakes exceed those of interplate earthquakes by nearly two points. Using the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale, earthquakes are categorized descriptively on a scale from I (not felt) to XII (total destruction) based on observed effects of the seismic event. While the ground accelerations of these two types of events are similar, the resulting intensity of intraplate earthquakes is significantly greater than that of interplate earthquakes due to the greater energy release (stress drop) across intraplate faults.

Stress Drop
Stress drop is a measure of the stress across a fault before and after an earthquake rupture. While intraplate and interplate earthquakes obey similar length proportional scaling laws, interplate earthquakes exhibit stress drop values that are systematically smaller by a factor of 6. This suggests that the boundaries between plates are significantly weaker than the plates themselves. The reason for the measurable, systemic difference in stress drop between interplate and intraplate earthquakes is not entirely understood. However, intraplate earthquake models show that stress is distributed uniformly across the fault whereas interplate earthquakes have stress concentrated in specific areas along the boundary. Furthermore, interplate earthquakes release stress immediately, as compared to intraplate earthquakes which release stress gradually.

Subduction Erosion
Basal erosion, the process of removal of materials from the underside of the upper plate by the subducting plate, occurs at numerous, but not all, convergent margins. As the process of subduction erosion is not completely understood, a model has been proposed in which basal erosion is supplemented by cyclical, interplate earthquakes. The model suggests that erosion does not occur gradually in subduction zones, but rather in brief episodes of elevated seismicity along the plate boundary.

Tsunamis
Earthquakes are a major factor in the creation of tsunami waves. As interplate earthquakes result in an immediate release of stress along a fault, they produce significant seismic energy and can cause seafloor uplift, generating large waves as the energy from the sudden slip along the fault is transferred to the overlying water body. However, the majority of interplate earthquakes are not intense enough to create tidal waves, with most tsunamis being caused by intraplate earthquakes or tsunami earthquakes due to their comparatively slow stress release regimes and proximity to the surface of the Earth.

Major Interplate Earthquake Events
Interplate earthquakes account for over 90% of all seismic energy released worldwide. As such, their effects are widespread and interplate earthquake events are numerous. Earthquakes of magnitudes higher than 5 are considered highly dangerous and pose a direct threat to human life and property. Some of the largest, most devastating earthquakes that have occurred in the last century have been identified as interplate events. Some areas of the world that are particularly prone to interplate earthquakes due to the presence of prominent plate boundaries include the west coast of North America (especially California and Alaska), the northeastern Mediterranean region (Greece, Italy, and Turkey in particular), Iran, New Zealand, Indonesia, India, Japan, and parts of China. 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Interplate Earthquake (Draft)
An interplate earthquake is an earthquake that occurs at the boundary between two tectonic plates. Earthquakes of this type account for more than 90 percent of the total seismic energy released around the world. If one plate is trying to move past the other, they will be locked until sufficient stress builds up to cause the plates to slip relative to each other. The slipping process creates an earthquake with land deformations and resulting seismic waves which travel through the Earth and along the Earth's surface. Relative plate motion can be lateral as along a transform fault boundary or vertical if along a convergent boundary (i.e. subduction or thrust/reverse faulting) or a divergent boundary (i.e. rift zone or normal faulting). At a subduction boundary the motion is due to one plate slipping beneath the other plate resulting in an interplate thrust called an megathrust earthquake, which are the most powerful earthquakes.

Some areas of the world that are particularly prone to such events interplate earthquakes include the west coast of North America (especially California and Alaska), the northeastern Mediterranean region (Greece, Italy, and Turkey in particular), Iran, New Zealand, Indonesia, India, Japan, and parts of China.

Interplate earthquakes differ from intraplate earthquake in the intensity of stress drop which occurs after the quake and the mechanics by which they occur. Intraplate earthquake have, on average, more a higher stress drop than that of the an interplate earthquake. Interplate earthquakes also differ fundamentally from intraplate earthquakes in the way stress is released and recovered. An interplate earthquake results in an immediate stress drop along the fault. Following this is a period of postseismic stress restoration. This restoration occurs quickly within the first few decades following the rupture and is due to tectonic loading and viscous relaxation in the lower crust. This results in a transfer of stress to the upper crust. Later on, a period of steady stress increase occurs due to tectonic loading.

Mechanics
Mechanically, interplate earthquakes differ from other seismic events in that they are caused by motion at the boundary between two tectonic plates. An interplate earthquake event occurs when the accumulated stress at a tectonic plate boundary are released via brittle failure and displacement along the fault.

There are three types of plate boundaries to consider in the context of interplate earthquake events :


 * Transform Plate Boundary: Where two boundaries slide relative to each other.
 * Divergent Plate Boundary: Where two boundaries are pulled apart, causing magma to rise into the newly created void.
 * Convergent Plate Boundary: Where one plate subducts beneath another plate.

Precursory Tremors
While many earthquakes are preceded by foreshocks, interplate earthquakes are preceded by an irregular amount of small tremors. Precursory tremors are caused by slow slip action along a plate boundary. These precursory tremors can be identified within days or weeks of an interplate earthquake event and allow researchers to more accurately predict interplate earthquakes and introduce strategies to mitigate damage.

Differentiation
Beyond the inherent mechanical differences leading to interplate earthquake events, these seismic occurrences can be differentiated by other means.

Intensity
Interplate earthquakes differ from intraplate earthquakes in that the intensity of intraplate earthquakes exceed those of interplate earthquakes by nearly two points. Using the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale, earthquakes are categorized descriptively. While the ground accelerations of these two types of events are similar, the resulting intensity of intraplate earthquakes is significantly greater than that of interplate earthquakes.

Stress Drop
Stress drop is a measure of the stress across a fault before and after an earthquake rupture. While intraplate and interplate earthquakes obey similar length proportional scaling laws, interplate earthquakes exhibit stress drop values that are systematically smaller by a factor of 6. This suggests that the boundaries between plates are significantly weaker than the plates themselves. The reason for the measurable, systemic difference in stress drop between interplate and intraplate earthquakes is not entirely understood. However, intraplate earthquake models show that stress is distributed uniformly across the fault whereas interplate earthquakes have stress concentrated in specific areas along the fault. Furthermore, interplate earthquakes release stress immediately across the fault, as compared to intraplate earthquakes which release stress gradually.

Subduction Erosion
Basal erosion, the process of removal of materials from the underside of the upper plate by the subducting plate, occurs at numerous convergent margins. As the process of subduction erosion is not completely understood, a model has been proposed in which basal erosion is supplemented by cyclical, interplate earthquakes. The model suggests that erosion does not occur gradually in subduction zones, but rather in brief episodes of elevated seismicity along the plate boundary.

Interplate Earthquake Events
Interplate earthquakes account for over 90% of all seismic energy released worldwide. As such, their effects are widespread and interplate earthquake events are numerous. Due to the number of annual interplate earthquake events and their unpredictable nature, only a limited amount of interplate earthquakes are studied in detail. However, many major earthquakes that have occurred in the last century have been identified as interplate events. Earthquakes of magnitudes higher than 5 are considered highly dangerous and pose a direct threat to human life and property.

Interplate Earthquakes (Lead and Outline)
An interplate earthquake is an earthquake that occurs at the boundary between two tectonic plates. Earthquakes of this type account for more than 90 percent of the total seismic energy released around the world. If one plate is trying to move past the other, they will be locked until sufficient stress builds up to cause the plates to slip relative to each other. The slipping process creates an earthquake with land deformations and resulting seismic waves which travel through the Earth and along the Earth's surface. Relative plate motion can be lateral as along a transform fault boundary or vertical if along a convergent subduction boundary or a rift at a divergent boundary. At a subduction boundary the motion is due to one plate slipping beneath the other plate resulting in an interplate thrust or megathrust earthquake, which are the most powerful earthquakes.

Some areas of the world that are particularly prone to such events include the west coast of North America (especially California and Alaska), the northeastern Mediterranean region (Greece, Italy, and Turkey in particular), Iran, New Zealand, Indonesia, India, Japan, and parts of China.

Interplate earthquakes differ from intraplate earthquake in the intensity of stress drop which occurs after the quake and the mechanics by which they occur. Intraplate earthquake have, on average, more stress drop than that of the interplate earthquake. Interplate earthquakes also differ fundamentally from intraplate earthquakes in the way stress is released and recovered. An interplate earthquake results in an immediate stress drop along the fault. Following this is a period of postseismic stress restoration. This restoration occurs quickly within the first few decades following the rupture and is due to tectonic loading and viscous relaxation in the lower crust. This results in a transfer of stress to the upper crust. Later on, a period of steady stress increase occurs due to tectonic loading.


 * Header
 * Causes of interplate earthquakes
 * Precursory tremors
 * Controlled by plate motion
 * Differentiating interplate earthquakes
 * Stress drop in interplate earthquakes
 * Difference between interplate and intraplate earthquake stress drop
 * Effects of interplate earthquakes
 * Interplate earthquakes play a large role in subduction erosion

Sources for Interplate Earthquake Updates

 * Scholz, C. H., Aviles, C. A., & Wesnousky, S. G. (1986). Scaling differences between large interplate and intraplate earthquakes. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 76(1), 65-70.
 * Large interplate earthquakes obey a scaling law similar to intraplate earthquakes
 * Bouchon, M., Durand, V., Marsan, D., Karabulut, H., & Schmittbuhl, J. (2013). The long precursory phase of most large interplate earthquakes. Nature geoscience, 6(4), 299.
 * Interplate earthquakes generally have a long period of small tremors before a major event
 * Leyton, F., Ruiz, J., Campos, J., & Kausel, E. (2009). Intraplate and interplate earthquakes in Chilean subduction zone: A theoretical and observational comparison. Physics of the Earth and Planetary interiors, 175(1-2), 37-46.
 * Interplate earthquakes have a significantly smaller stress drop than intraplate earthquakes
 * Bellam, S. S. (2012). Assessment of Interplate and Intraplate Earthquakes (Doctoral dissertation, Texas A & M University).
 * Interplate earthquakes are controlled strictly by plate motion, whereas intraplate earthquakes are linked to the rising of the asthenosphere.
 * Wang, K., Hu, Y., Huene, R. V., & Kukowski, N. (2010). Interplate earthquakes as a driver of shallow subduction erosion. Geology,38(5), 431-434. doi:10.1130/g30597.1
 * Interplate earthquakes are a key step in the process of subduction erosion
 * Kato, N. (2009). A possible explanation for difference in stress drop between intraplate and interplate earthquakes. Geophysical Research Letters,36(23). doi:10.1029/2009gl040985
 * The difference in stress-drop values for interplate and intraplate earthquakes can be modeled using different loading mechanisms on the plates

Wikipedia Week 2 Article Critique Notes
Plate Tectonics Divergent Boundaries
 * Article content
 * Plate tectonics is the theory that rigid plates of the Earth's lithosphere move over time
 * There are 7 or 8 major plates, with numerous minor plates
 * As the density of the crust changes and spreading ridges produce seafloor movement, plates are moved
 * Principles
 * The outer layers of the Earth are divided into the conducting lithosphere and convecting asthenosphere.
 * Rigid lithospheric plates are able to move across the fluid-like asthenosphere.
 * Plate boundaries delineate where tectonic plates meet.
 * These boundaries are common sites for earthquakes, volcanoes, mountains, and other topological features
 * Types of plate boundaries
 * Plate boundaries can be categorized as transform boundaries, divergent boundaries, and convergent boundaries based on the motion of the two intersecting plates.
 * Driving forces of plate motion
 * Dissipation of heat from the mantle provides energy for convection that drives plate motion
 * The exact details of how plates move is still debated and not completely understood
 * It is generally accepted that mantle mechanics play a primary role, while gravitational effects play a secondary role in driving plate motion. The rotation of the Earth has also been proposed as an acting force for plate tectonics
 * Theory development
 * Alfred Wegener proposed the theory of "continental drift" in 1912, which eventually became the basis for modern tectonic theory
 * Paleomagnetic data showing lithospheric plate movement was the first geophysical evidence of plate tectonics around 1956
 * Deep ocean bathymetry research from 1959 to 1963 provided further evidence to support plate tectonics
 * Plate reconstruction
 * Scientists are able to reconstruct the history of plate tectonics on Earth using a variety of methods and data types
 * Other celestial bodies also display evidence of plate tectonics.
 * Mars, Venus, moons of Jupiter, and other Earth-sized planets have been known to show evidence of plate tectonics
 * Article comments
 * Lengthy and mostly well-sourced
 * Tested 3 citation links, all working
 * Some subsections, such as Magnetic striping, could use more citations for individual facts/dates
 * The sources I checked were all independent, scholarly articles
 * Theory development section is quite lengthy. Perhaps could be a separate article?
 * Plate reconstruction section seems short. I would guess there is much more information on this topic.
 * The article is semi-protected, indicating the information is reliable and frequently edited
 * Article content
 * Defined as a linear feature between two tectonic plates moving away from each other
 * Mantle convection provides energy for material to rise to the base of the lithosphere at the spreading center
 * Description (mostly restates introductory paragraph)
 * Examples
 * Many examples of divergent boundaries are listed
 * Other plate boundary types include convergent boundaries and transform boundaries
 * Article comments
 * This article is much shorter than the Plate Tectonics article. This is perhaps justified in that the article is about a specific plate tectonics scenario, not the topic as a whole.
 * Citations for this article are lacking. There is only one cited source, and much of the article is unsourced
 * Some of the sections are just lists of examples
 * The Description section mostly restates what is written in the introductory paragraph