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Did the other side of the Pacific Plate also shift?

Question

When there is an earthquake and we’re told the Pacific plate has shifted eight feet, why hasn’t the other side of the plate – in Japan’s case in Los Angeles – also moved eight feet?
Jason, Mill Hill

Answer

** Definitive **
Name: Darren, Potter’s Bar
Qualification: Watcher of lots of documentaries
Answer: The continental plates do not butt up against each other. They slide over and above each other and creates mountains. Japan hasn’t just been shifted, but moved higher as well. If you have two plates, one on top of the other, it’s possible for the one below to move and only affects one side but not the other.

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