Historic earthquakes in the Rio Grande rift area have had only small to moderate magnitudes,but the continental lithosphere continues to compress and shorten,thus presenting a real hazard for large earthquakes near settlements including Albuquerque,Socorro,and Las Cruces in New Mexico,El Paso in Texas,and Ciudad Juarez in Mexico.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Rio Grande rift area is characterized by the stretching and thinning of the Earth's crust, which leads to extension rather than compression and shortening of the continental lithosphere. This extensional tectonic setting can still present a hazard for earthquakes, but the primary process is not compression and shortening.

Historic Earthquakes in the Rio Grande Rift Area Have Had