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Scientists have also proven that other mountain ranges to be earthquake zones, including the Andes<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://web.archive.org/web/20050319232505/http://wwwshs1.bham.wednet.edu/curric/science/geophys/jacobson/ANDESMT.HTM|2=2011-10-02}} Andes mts.] - Volcanism and Plate Techtonics</ref> and the African mountains.<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/reliefweb_pdf/node-100782.pdf|2=2011-10-02}} <!-- http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=248&ArticleID=3047 -->Earthquake Risk Alert for Africa's Mountain Regions] - United Nations Environment Programme, May 6, 2002</ref> | Scientists have also proven that other mountain ranges to be earthquake zones, including the Andes<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://web.archive.org/web/20050319232505/http://wwwshs1.bham.wednet.edu/curric/science/geophys/jacobson/ANDESMT.HTM|2=2011-10-02}} Andes mts.] - Volcanism and Plate Techtonics</ref> and the African mountains.<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/reliefweb_pdf/node-100782.pdf|2=2011-10-02}} <!-- http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=248&ArticleID=3047 -->Earthquake Risk Alert for Africa's Mountain Regions] - United Nations Environment Programme, May 6, 2002</ref> | ||
Does the | Does the claim that mountains prevent earthquakes stand up to scientific evidence? Clearly it does not. In fact, the largest earthquakes, particularly the largest 2, ever recorded are associated with mountainous regions.<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://asc-india.org/lib/world10.htm|2=2011-10-02}} 10 Largest Quakes - Worldwide] - Amateur Seismic Centre</ref> | ||
*No. 1: The great Chilean earthquake occurring 140 kms SSW of Concepción (Biobio), Chile, registered 9.5Mw – the largest earthquake ever recorded. The Andes mountain range did nothing to prevent or stabilize this earthquake. | *No. 1: The great Chilean earthquake occurring 140 kms SSW of Concepción (Biobio), Chile, registered 9.5Mw – the largest earthquake ever recorded. The Andes mountain range did nothing to prevent or stabilize this earthquake. | ||
*No. 2: The Prince William Sound earthquake occurring 33.2 kms SE of Mt. Goode (Alaska), U.S.A., registered 9.2Mw - the second biggest earthquake recorded in the | *No. 2: The Prince William Sound earthquake occurring 33.2 kms SE of Mt. Goode (Alaska), U.S.A., registered 9.2Mw - the second biggest earthquake recorded in the 20<sup>th</sup> century. Mt Goode did not stabilize this earthquake. | ||
*No. 6: The Ecuador earthquake occurring 138 kms W of Tortuga (Esmeraldas Province), Ecuador, registered 8.8Mw. The nearby Andes mountain range did not prevent or stabilize this earthquake. | *No. 6: The Ecuador earthquake occurring 138 kms W of Tortuga (Esmeraldas Province), Ecuador, registered 8.8Mw. The nearby Andes mountain range did not prevent or stabilize this earthquake. | ||
*No. 8: The Arunachal Pradesh occurring 20.7 kilometers NW of Tajobum (Arunachal Pradesh), India registering 8.6Mw. This is in the Assam hills and | *No. 8: The Arunachal Pradesh occurring 20.7 kilometers NW of Tajobum (Arunachal Pradesh), India registering 8.6Mw. This is in the Assam hills and caused landslides in the mountains. | ||
Let’s examine the case of the largest earthquake ever recorded. | Let’s examine the case of the largest earthquake ever recorded. | ||
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The Andes Mountains | The Andes Mountains did not seem to prevent or stabilize this earthquake. In fact, it is the collision between the Nazca and South American tectonic plates that causes these earthquakes and raises the Andes mountains. | ||
{{Quote|[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.moorlandschool.co.uk/earth/tectonic.htm|2=2011-10-02}} Plate tectonics]<BR>Earth Science From Moorland School|This is a convergent plate boundary, the plates move towards each other. The amount of crust on the surface of the earth remains relatively constant. Therefore, when plates diverge (separate) and form new crust in one area, the plates must converge (come together) in another area and be destroyed. An example of this is the Nazca plate being subducted under the South American plate to form the Andes Mountain Chain.}} | {{Quote|[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.moorlandschool.co.uk/earth/tectonic.htm|2=2011-10-02}} Plate tectonics]<BR>Earth Science From Moorland School|This is a convergent plate boundary, the plates move towards each other. The amount of crust on the surface of the earth remains relatively constant. Therefore, when plates diverge (separate) and form new crust in one area, the plates must converge (come together) in another area and be destroyed. An example of this is the Nazca plate being subducted under the South American plate to form the Andes Mountain Chain.}} | ||
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Hence the | Hence the proposition that mountains prevent earthquakes is false. | ||
===Mountains stabilize the earth through isostacy=== | ===Mountains stabilize the earth through isostacy=== |
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