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help about coastal regions and earthquakes!?

why are coastal regions are the most prone to earthquakes?

Public Comments

1. There are a lot of convergent zones. Oceanic crust is more dense than continental crust so when they meet the oceanic crust often becomes subducted. Japan for example.
2. Earthquakes typically do not happen at coasts unless there's some form of subduction occurring (one tectonic plate being forced beneath another). For example, there aren't many earthquakes on the east coast of the USA, as it's a passive margin, no subduction. Compared to the west coast (and most of the coasts bordering the Pacific Ocean, aka the Ring of Fire).