Question

Now and in the future, severe earthquakes are more likely to strike North America along the Pacific coastline than elsewhere on the continent. Which model of Earth would be most useful for explaining the likelihood of these earthquakes?
A.
a three-dimensional model of Earth's inner layers
B.
a map of hotspots below Earth's crust
C.
a globe that shows the shapes and positions of the continents
D.
a map of tectonic plates and their boundaries

Answer 1

D. A map of tectonic plates and their boundaries.

Earthquakes are concentrated along plate boundaries (subduction zones, transform faults, etc.). The Pacific coast lies along several active plate boundaries (e.g., the boundary between the Pacific, North American, and smaller plates), so a tectonic-plate map best explains the higher earthquake likelihood there.