Breaking News: Earthquake Devastates Myanmar and Thailand, Understanding the Causes and Impact

A massive earthquake recently struck Myanmar and Thailand, leading to the collapse of multi-story buildings and causing widespread destruction. The tremors shook the foundations of old bridges, caused buildings to tilt, and left a cloud of dust and debris in their wake. This catastrophic event, triggered by the movement of tectonic plates beneath the Earth's surface, raises the question: why do earthquakes happen? The Earth's outermost layer, the crust, is not uniform but consists of several tectonic plates. These plates constantly move, slide, and collide with each other at the boundaries, known as plate boundaries. These boundaries often contain faults, which, when they shift or rupture, cause earthquakes. The point on the Earth's surface directly above the earthquake’s focus is called the epicenter. Earthquakes are measured by the Richter scale, which indicates their magnitude. Most major earthquakes occur along the "Ring of Fire," an area surrounding the Pacific Ocean. Despite advances in weather forecasting, predicting earthquakes remains impossible.