The structure of Earth can be defined in two ways: by mechanical

properties such as rheology, or chemically. Mechanically, it can be

divided into lithosphere, asthenosphere, mesospheric mantle,
outer core, and the inner core. The interior of Earth is divided into
5 important layers. Chemically, Earth can be divided into the
crust, upper mantle, lower mantle, outer core, and inner core.
An earthquake is the perceptible shaking of the surface of the
Earth, resulting from the sudden release of energy in the Earth's
crust that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can be violent
enough to toss people around and destroy whole cities. The
seismicity or seismic activity of an area refers to the
frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a
period of time.
Earthquakes
are
measured
using
observations
from
seismometers. The moment magnitude is the most common scale
on which earthquakes larger than approximately 5 are reported
for the entire globe. The more numerous earthquakes smaller
than magnitude 5 reported by national seismological
observatories are measured mostly on the local magnitude scale,
also referred to as the Richter magnitude scale.
PT
The lithosphere, which is the rigid outermost shell of a planet (the
crust and upper mantle), is broken up into tectonic plates. The
Earth's lithosphere is composed of seven or eight major plates
(depending on how they are defined) and many minor plates.
Where the plates meet, their relative motion determines the type
of boundary: convergent, divergent, or transform. Earthquakes,
volcanic activity, mountain-building, and oceanic trench formation
occur along these plate boundaries.
Alfred Wegener first thought of this idea by noticing that the
different large landmasses of the Earth almost fit together like a

jigsaw puzzle. The Continental shelf of the Americas fit closely to

Africa and Europe, and Antarctica, Australia, India and
Madagascar fitted next to the tip of Southern Africa. But Wegener
only took action after reading a paper in 1911 and seeing that a
flooded land-bridge contradicts isostasy. Wegener's main interest
was meteorology, and he wanted to join the Denmark-Greenland
expedition scheduled for mid-1912. He presented his Continental
Drift hypothesis on 6 January 1912. He analyzed both sides of the
Atlantic Ocean for rock type, geological structures and fossils. He
noticed that there was a significant similarity between matching
sides of the continents, especially in fossil plants.
In 1915, Wegener drew together evidence from various fields to
advance the theory that there had once been a giant continent
which he named "Urkontinent(German for "primal continent",
analogous to the Greek "Pangaea", meaning "All-Lands" or "AllEarth"). Expanded editions during the 1920s presented further
evidence. The last edition, just before his untimely death,
revealed the significant observation that shallower oceans were
geologically younger.

The Ring of Fire is a direct result of plate tectonics/ movement

and collisions of lithospheric plates.[7] The eastern section of the
ring is the result of the Nazca Plate and the Cocos Plate being
subducted beneath the westward moving South American Plate.
The Cocos Plate is being subducted beneath the Caribbean Plate,
in Central America. A portion of the Pacific Plate along with the
small Juan de Fuca Plate are being subducted beneath the North
American Plate

In geology, a fault is a planar fracture or discontinuity in a

volume of rock, across which there has been significant
displacement as a result of rock mass movement. Large faults
within the Earth's crust result from the action of plate tectonic
forces, with the largest forming the boundaries between the
plates, such as subduction zones or transform faults.
In an effort to help you and your family prepare now, here are
some one-minute drills that are short on time, but big on impact.
Drill 1 Get a KitVisit the American Red Cross Store and buy the
Deluxe Emergency Preparedness Kit. Thats it. You are already
done with this step. Easy, right?

Drill 2 Discuss Kit RulesOnce you get the kit, make sure that
everyone knows where it is and that the items are to be used for
emergencies only. You don't want someone taking the water
packet from the kit just because they don't want to make the trip
to the kitchen.
Drill 3 Personalize Your KitHave each family member pick
their favorite canned foods and personal items and add them to
the kit.
Drill 4 Make an Evacuation PlanThis is much easier and less
time consuming than it seems. Pull out a map and highlighter and
determine two or three destinations and the routes to get there.
Drill 5 Be InformedIt is important to know what natural
disasters can affect your area and what to do in the event of one
striking. Read through the appropriate Disaster and Emergency
guides. Watch the weather and stay on top of the news if a
hurricane or other severe weather is predicted to come your way.
If local authorities are telling you to evacuate, then EVACUATE! If
you followed the drills above, then you already have an
evacuation plan.
Plan what to do if you have to evacuate
Decide where you would go and what route you would take
to get there. You may choose to go to a hotel/motel, stay
with friends or relatives in a safe location or go to an
evacuation shelter if necessary.
Practice evacuating your home twice a year. Drive your
planned evacuation route and plot alternate routes on your
map in case roads are impassable.

 Plan ahead for your pets. Keep a phone list of pet-friendly

hotels/motels and animal shelters that are along your
evacuation routes.

Mount Alps

Mount Everest

A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object,

such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to
escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
Earth's volcanoes occur because its crust is broken into 17 major,
rigid tectonic plates that float on a hotter, softer layer in its
mantle.[1] Therefore, on Earth, volcanoes are generally found
where tectonic plates are diverging or converging. For example, a
mid-oceanic ridge, such as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, has volcanoes
caused by divergent tectonic plates pulling apart; the Pacific Ring
of Fire has volcanoes caused by convergent tectonic plates
coming together. Volcanoes can also form where there is
stretching and thinning of the crust's

Plate
Tectonics
Booklet