The devastation wrought by earthquakes and volcanoes often obscures the fact that these destructive forces are also some of the most creative on the planetindeed, the existence of mountains and continents would scarcely be possible if natural forces were to come to a complete standstill. With detailed diagrams outlining the structure of continental and oceanic crust and the distribution of major plate motion, this book introduces readers to the range of activity that can shape or decimate an entire region. Descriptions of famous earthquakes and volcanoes help contextualize the staggering power of the Earths motion.