A tragic hero can be defined simply as the protagonist of a tragedy. The Greek philosopher Aristotle, however, endowed this individual with a number of specific characteristics. The first of which is his ability to evoke fear and pity from an audience.
Earthquakes are caused by either volcanic activity or shifting of massive tectonic plates underneath the surface of the earth. The plates have a ton of pressure and are pressing against each other, and when the plates suddenly shift it causes the entire ground to move, shake or break apart.
NASA Details Earthquake Effects on the Earth This view of Earth comes from NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer aboard the Terra satellite. NASA scientists using data from the Indonesian earthquake calculated it affected Earth's rotation, decreased the length of day, slightly changed the planet's shape, and shifted the North Pole by centimeters. The earthquake that created the huge tsunami also changed the Earth's rotation. Dr. Richard Gross of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., and Dr. Benjamin Fong Chao, of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., said all earthquakes have some affect on Earth's rotation.