megathrust
Plate boundary rupture
A megathrust is a massive earthquake occurring at a subduction zone, where one tectonic plate slides beneath another.
These are among the most powerful seismic events on Earth, capable of generating devastating tsunamis: The 2011 megathrust off Japan triggered the Fukushima disaster.
The term also describes the fault boundary itself where such quakes originate.
Plate descending beneath another
- faultImperfection or blame
- plateFlat dish for food
- convergenceProcess of approaching sameness
- lithosphereCrust plus upper mantle
asthenosphere · plate boundary · fault line · trench · oceanic · continental · crust · mantle
Seismic ground movement
- tsunamiSeismic sea surge
- magnitudeSize or scale
- epicenterPoint above seismic origin
- aftershockSmaller quake following larger
foreshock · seismograph · seismic wave · P-wave · S-wave · Richter · liquefaction · seismicity
Seismic sea surge
- devastationSevere widespread destruction
- destructionAct of completely ruining
- disasterSudden ruinous event
- cataclysmViolent, large-scale disaster
collapse · crisis · aftermath · havoc · inundation · casualties · evacuation · emergency
subduction
Plate descending beneath another
- faultImperfection or blame
- plateFlat dish for food
- convergenceProcess of approaching sameness
lithosphere · asthenosphere · plate boundary · fault line · trench · oceanic · continental · crust · mantle · displacement
earthquake
Seismic ground movement
aftershock · foreshock · seismograph · seismic wave · P-wave · S-wave · Richter · liquefaction · seismicity · coupling
tsunami
Seismic sea surge
- devastationSevere widespread destruction
- destructionAct of completely ruining
- disasterSudden ruinous event
cataclysm · collapse · crisis · aftermath · havoc · inundation · casualties · evacuation · emergency · recovery
force
Strength or compulsion
release · massive · colossal · violent · immense · tremendous · enormous · explosive · unstoppable · buildup
- earthquakesearthquake, quake, earthquakes, quakes, epicenter
- seismologyearthquake, earthquakes, seismograph, seismicity, seismometer
- faultsfault, flaw, defect, imperfection, shortcoming
- subductionsubduction zone, trench, slab, oceanic crust, Wadati-Benioff zone
- ocean trenchesMariana Trench, oceanic trench, deep-sea trench, Challenger Deep
- tsunamistsunami, tidal waves, tidal wave, megatsunami, tsunami warning