Which of the following explains the cause of earthquakes occurring on the eastern margins of Asia?
Earthquakes on the eastern margins of Asia (Japan, Kuril Islands, Philippines) are primarily caused by the subduction of the Pacific Plate beneath the Asian (Eurasian) Plate. As the heavy oceanic Pacific Plate sinks into the mantle, it creates a massive trench and builds intense pressure, which is released through frequent, high-magnitude earthquakes and volcanic activity. ANSWER: (C) Subduction of the Pacific Plate beneath the Asian Plate
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The eastern coast of Asia is a classic “convergent boundary.” The Pacific Plate is moving westward and diving under the Eurasian Plate at a rate of several centimeters per year. This process, called subduction, creates the deepest parts of the ocean (like the Mariana Trench). The friction between these two colossal slabs of crust is immense. When the “stuck” plates finally slip, it results in some of the most powerful earthquakes in history, such as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. This subduction also melts the crust, feeding the chain of volcanoes that make up the islands of Japan and the Philippines.