http://www.amnh.org/education/resources/rfl/web/dsv/images/plate_spreading.jpg

The underwater Juan de Fuca fault

Hello again! I have finally finished my travels in New Zealand, and have arrived in Washington state to see the Juan de Fuca fault. I am staying in the emerald city, a town I have already come to adore. After lodging with a friend in new Zealand I am happy to be able to claim a full hotel room to myself. It hasn't taken long for me to meet some of the locals, and they all seem very friendly. They weren't at all shy in telling me of all the places that I needed to visit. Time after time I was told that Pike Place Market, the EMP, and the Space Needle were the destinations that could not be missed. So, without further ado, I hailed a cab and set off.

http://www.mylifesatrip.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/EMP-Space-Needle.jpg

The EMP and Space Needle

First I stopped at the EMP, catching my first glimple of the Space Needle as I neared the entrance. The museum turned out to be absoloutely incredible, and I believe that everyone would be amused by the exhibits. After a full four hours in the EMP I headed up the space needle and surveyed the surrounding city. The Space Needle is truly a piece of amazing architecture.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Pike_Place_Market_Entrance.JPG

Pike Place Market

After the long hours at the EMP I was ready to walk around for a bit, and so I headed down to Pike Place. What a scene! This bustling marketplace is a defining piece of Seattle culture, and a place that simply cannot be missed. I spent over three hours wandering between the shops and admiring the items for sale. But once I looked down at my watch, I knew that I better head back to the hotel and study up on the Juan de Fuca fault.As it turns out, this fault is divergent, which means that it is casued by plates that pull in opposite directions, creating large crevices in the earth.

http://higheredbcs.wiley.com/legacy/college/levin/0471697435/chap_tut/images/nw0125-nn.jpg

Divergent boundary

http://www.passmyexams.co.uk/GCSE/physics/images/seafloor_spreading.gif

Divergent Boundary

When these plates pull apart, it causes lava to come up from deep in the earth, eventually cooling and settling on the crevice's ridges, creating ranges of volcanoes. Also, as they slowly move away from eachother, the plates create a wider gap between the continents. Among other things, divergent boundaries are known to cause earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The last time new magma began to flow from the Jaun de Fuca ridge, was in July of 2011. Also, tiny earthquakes occur very commmonly along Juan de Fuca's divergent ridge Anyway, I better get some rest, i'll see you soon!