Fault lines are the edges of the parts of the earth's crust that shift at approximately the same rate that your fingernails grow. These parts of the earth's crust are called tectonic plates. Along the fault lines, earthquakes are bound to occur and very frequently. Earthquakes are what form our mountains and create our oceans (over a long period of time). Small earthquakes can move the plates millimeters at a time, where large earthquakes can move the earth's crust one or two meters. The plates are moving in certain directions, and will continue to effect the position of our continents (however slightly).

Earthquakes occur several hundred times a day. These earthquakes can be monitored as they occur on certain educational websites. The quakes are measured using the Richter Magnitude Scale (a scale of 0-10). Seismic stations around the world monitor these earthquakes and can also predict when an earthquake will occur. This technology can prevent casualties, but cannot prevent damage. The power of the earthquakes can be compared to their energy equivalents and the destruction that they both ensue.

[map shows the high risk areas of earthquakes in the United States]