What keeps triggering earthquakes in Turkey? An expert explains

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Ebru Bozdag contributes to this article, and explains that the primary reason for earthquakes is the relative movement of tectonic plates at the surface.  The Earth, very roughly, has four major layers. From surface to the center: crust, mantle, outer and inner cores. The crust is broken into rigid tectonic plates, which float on top of the mantle due to the convection currents in the mantle. As the plates move relative to each other, earthquakes happen at plate boundaries. But we also observe some seismic activity inside tectonic plates as well.  Another reason for earthquakes is related to mantle plumes and associated volcanic activities which can occur inside tectonic plates, she explained, such as the type of earthquakes seen in Hawaii, which is located almost in the middle of the Pacific Plate.  February 28, 2023.