Tectonic Activity

Introduction:

Earthquakes represent one of the most destructive natural hazards known to the
humans. Scientific understanding of earthquakes is of vital importance. As the population
increases, expanding urban development and construction works encroach upon areas
susceptible to earthquakes. With a greater understanding of the causes and effects of
earthquakes, we may be able to reduce damage and loss of life from this destructive
phenomenon. A primary goal of earthquake research is to increase the reliability of
earthquake probability estimates. The purpose of this paper is to give a general idea about
the tectonic and seismic regime of the Mediterranean region and point out the importance of
seismic awareness. Moreover, there is an illustration describing the structure of the
Geophysics Department of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, its role to the continuous
monitoring of seismic activity and the participation of its staff to the earthquake data
analysis and processing , and the department's collaboration with other institutions in the
Mediterranean region.

The Earth is made up of three layers: The core, the mantle and the crust.

- Crust broken into huge blocks of rock known as plates.
- Some plates are as large as continents , whereas others are smaller
- Plates float on Mantle ( 2nd layer of earth - in a molten state )
 - Core : Hottest layer . Inner layer of the earth

When two plates meet : Plates Boundary
Can be Diverging , Converging or Passive

Diverging: Plates move away from each other . Also known as Constructive Margins because here new crust is being formed.
Converging: Plates move towards eachother
They can either push eachother in a collision boundary OR one goes under the other in a destructive boundary.Here , Subduction zones can be found.

Passive: Plates move past eachother.  Also known as Conservative margins.

The movement of plate boundaries can cause volcanic eruptions  and earthquakes to occur

Convergent Boundaries

Where plates serving landmasses collide, the crust crumples and buckles into mountain ranges. India and Asia crashed about 55 million years ago, slowly giving rise to the Himalaya,…