Megathrust earthquake

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/megathrust-earthquake

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the plate boundary configuration?Occurs at convergent plate boundaries where subduction takes place
2. What is the tsunami potential?High likelihood of generating destructive tsunamis due to large-scale seafloor displacement
3. Why do megathrust earthquakes make tsunamis?The quake pushes the ocean floor up or down like a giant piston, moving a lot of water. This sudden movement creates a tsunami that can travel across entire oceans.
4. Where do megathrust earthquakes usually happen?They happen at subduction zones, where one plate goes beneath another, often in deep ocean trenches.

Convergent Plate Boundary: A region where tectonic plates collide, leading to subduction or mountain formation.
Subduction: The process by which one tectonic plate slides beneath another into the Earth's mantle.
Thrust Fault: A type of fault where the hanging wall moves up and over the footwall, typically at a low angle.
Moment Magnitude (Mw): A measure of earthquake size that reflects the total energy released, commonly used for large earthquakes.