Scientists: the Explorer tectonic plate is breaking apart in the depths of the Pacific Ocean.
Scientists have recorded the process of destruction of the Explorer tectonic plate in the depths of the Pacific Ocean. The corresponding study was published in the journal Science Advances.
The study of the boundaries of four tectonic plates revealed that the Explorer plate is breaking apart under its own stress. According to geologists, this is a stage in the natural life cycle of subduction zones, where one plate 'dives' beneath another and renews the Earth's crust.
Geologist Brandon Shack from Louisiana State University compared the initiation of a subduction zone to trying to push a train uphill: he stated that it requires tremendous effort. However, this process cannot be stopped without tragic consequences, similar to a train derailment.
It was previously reported that the United States faces the largest earthquake threat due to the tectonic plate fault. Scientists fear that an earthquake in the Cascadia subduction zone, where the Juan de Fuca tectonic plate is sinking beneath the North American plate, 'will become the largest disaster in North American history.'
