Earthquakes occur along fault lines, fractures in the Earth's crust. The land masses that join along a fault are under tremendous pressure, but friction keeps them from moving. However, eventually the pressure overcomes the friction and the fault slips causing an earthquake.
In the case of the earthquake off Pakistan, the Earthquake caused enough mud from the sea floor got pushed up to form a small island.
The article is a great review of earthquakes, tectonic forces and island formation. It is also a great reminder of how small and fragile we humans are compared to the planet we live on.
Earthquake Creates New Island off Pakistan
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| New Island forms off Pakistan. NASA's Earth Observatory. |
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