An intraplate earthquake is an earthquake that occurs in the interior of a tectonic plate, whereas an interplate earthquake is one that occurs at a plate boundary.
Intraplate earthquakes are very rare. Interplate earthquakes, which occur at plate boundaries, are more common. Nonetheless, very large intraplate earthquakes can inflict heavy damage, particularly because such areas are not accustomed to earthquakes and buildings are usually not seismically retrofitted. Notable examples of damaging intraplate earthquakes are the devastating Gujarat earthquake in 2001, the 1811-1812 earthquakes in New Madrid, Missouri, and the 1886 earthquake in Charleston, South Carolina.
Read more about Intraplate Earthquake: Fault Zones Within Tectonic Plates, Historic Examples, Causes, Prediction
Famous quotes containing the word earthquake:
“It is crystal clear to me that if Arabs put down a draft resolution blaming Israel for the recent earthquake in Iran it would probably have a majority, the U.S. would veto it and Britain and France would abstain.”
—Amos Oz (b. 1939)