What is a geologically optimal environment?  What would be the
specific characterisitics of this area?  Are there any actual places
that are geologically stable?

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Request for Question Clarification by czh-ga on 03 May 2005 17:02 PDT

Optimal for whom? Polar bears? Hot vent tube worms? Cockroaches? Pearl
divers? Mountain climbers? The kid around the corner? You? Me?

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Clarification of Question by collegegirl123-ga on 04 May 2005 09:34 PDT

Hi !  

Sorry the question was so broad.  I'm actually wondering what would be
the best place to build a house.  So essentially, my question is,
where is a safe place, geologically, to build a home, where is won't
be susceptible to earthquakes, and other natural disasters.

thanks !

As far as you can from the shock zone of the tectonic plates
http://cipres.cec.uchile.cl/~fherve/placas.gif

The two states with the least amount of seismic activity are Florida
and Louisiana.  Unfortunately, these two states are the most prone to
violent hurricanes.  The west coast has traditionally been known for
earthquakes.  Once a century or so there is a large earthquake in the
eastern half of the country.  Charleston, SC has recorded a 7.0 and
the largest two earthquakes in the lower 48 occurred 3 months apart in
Missouri.  Larger earthquakes are also felt from farther distances in
the east as the earth's crust here is hard lacks the segmentation by
faults that the west coast endures. The tropical climes of Brazil are
nice because they are not prone to earthquakes and the Southern
Atlantic is the only major ocean without hurricanes. (Only 1 in the
last century.)  Hope this helps.