Question: If the world started falling apart would we be able to see the tectonic plates that cause earthquakes when they move out of place and if all moved would we have a massive global earthquake? (If that is possible)?

Tim Craig answered on 11 Jun 2018:

We don’t need the Earth to fall apart to see tectonics plates – they’re already visible! If you go outside, and look around you, you’re seeing the surface of what we call the Eurasian plate – a very large tectonic plate that stretches from the centre of the Atlantic ocean all the way to the far side of China. If you go to Iceland, you can find places where you can effectively stand on Eurasia and see the North American plate.

One of the great things about studying earth sciences, and one of the reasons I think it is really interesting, is that so much of it is readily apparent in our daily lives!

The idea of a massive ‘global’ earthquake is one that Hollywood likes to promote – often as the end of the world in disaster movies. But, as far as we know, this is essentially not possible. The largest earthquake humanity has ever recorded was the 1960 Valdivia earthquake, which registered as a magnitude 9.5 – and even earthquakes this big are exceptionally rare.