Sinking sea mountains make and muffle earthquakes
Thursday, March 5, 2020 - 01:00
in Earth & Climate
Subduction zones -- places where one tectonic plate dives beneath another -- are where the world's largest and most damaging earthquakes occur. A new study has found that when underwater mountains -- also known as seamounts -- are pulled into subduction zones, not only do they set the stage for these powerful quakes, but also create conditions that end up dampening them.