Washington, September 12: Scientists in the US has found compelling evidence that ocean floor sediments may be the cause of megaquakes, including the earthquake and tsunami that struck the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004.
According to a report in Discovery News, the scientists include David Scholl, an emeritus scientist at the United States Geological Survey, and his team, who have been looking closely at subduction zones.
These areas are where the ocean crust grinds beneath an adjacent tectonic plate, plunging in fits and starts into the mantle.
The zones are infamous for their catastrophic temblors, called ''megathrusts,'' which often generate powerful earthquakes and devastating tsunamis.