Question

Understand the basic terms of seismology. Seismic zones are hazardous zones, where earthquakes tend to focus upon.

Answer 1

Understand the basic terms of seismology. Seismic zones are hazardous zones, where earthquakes tend to focus upon.

Solution
A seismic hazard zone describes an area with a specific level of hazard owing to earthquakes. A high seismic hazard zone is nearest a seismic zone where there occurrence of frequent earthquakes and lower seismic hazard zones are purported to be at least 100-1000kms away from the high hazard zones.
Seismic zones are also called Wadati-Benioff Zones. These zones are planar zones of seismicity which correspond to a slab in a subduction zone. The term was named after seismologists Hugo Benioff and Kiyoko Wadatti who discovered these seismic zones individually.
These seismic zone earthquakes develop beneath active volcanoes, volcanic island arcs, and continental margins above the active subduction zones.
These types of flat zone earthquakes are produced due to interaction between the downgoing oceanic plate and the continental plate thus creating a subduction zone. The downgoing plate is pulled into the mantle due to extensive bending and extension. The seismic zone extends up to 700km from the earth’s surface. The foci of the earthquake can range up to 670 km.

Note
Subduction zones:- A subduction is a geological occurrence at convergent boundaries of tectonic plates when one tectonic plate overlaps the other, which will force the plate to sink due to high gravitational potential energy. Regions, where the subduction process occurs, are called subduction zones. Subduction is a continuous process and is annually measured due to the constant motion of tectonic plates caused by gravitational forces.