Relationship between Earthquakes and Volcanoes
Earthquakes are the Earths means of releasing stress. When the Earths plates move against one and other stress is put on the lithosphere. When this stress is large enough the lithosphere tends to break or shift. As the tectonic plates move away they put force on themselves and surrounding plates. When the stress level increases the earth’s crust breaks and this causes the energy to be transferred in the form of waves along the earth’s surface known as waves which are called earthquakes.
Volcanoes on the other hand are mountains. Unlike regular mountains volcanoes are created when material from inside the Earth escapes to the surface. They have openings on the top that act as a release point for the earth to release its inner heat. Deep inside the Earth between the molten iron core and the thin crust at the surface there is a solid body of rock called the mantel. When the rock from the mantel melts, moves to the surface through the crust and releases gases and hot lava, volcanoes erupt.
Many volcanoes occur along tectonic boundaries whether they are convergent or divergent. These boundaries typically occur between continental and oceanic plates or between two oceanic plates. Some volcanoes however are created by hot spots where molten magma from the mantel of the Earth pushes through the crust, these hot spots can form island.
Volcanoes and Earthquakes are related at times as most earthquakes directly beneath a volcano are caused by the movement of magma. The magma exerts pressure on the rocks until it cracks the rock. Then the magma squirts into the cracks and starts building pressure again. Every time the rock cracks it makes a small earthquake. The common factor for both the phenomenon is that both result from movements of Earth's crust.
The main theory behind the relationship between these natural calamities lies in the plate tectonics. Earth comprises of irregular shaped and varying sized plates, which constantly move at different speeds. To be precise the plates drift over the mantel layer of the Earth. This causes the magma to be constantly be generated at the plate boundaries. When the plates collide, move apart or even slide upon each other it leads to the production and accumulation of pressure which when released causes earthquakes. Volcanic activates is also caused when the pates diverge or converge causing the magma present in the plate boundaries to rise to the Earth’s surface leading to volcanic eruption. Both these activities occur within a plate which is referred to as intraplate earthquakes and intraplate volcanoes respectively.
