How does plate tectonics explain the locations of many earthquakes and volcanoes?

Plate tectonics explains that Earth’s outer shell, the lithosphere, is divided into large, moving plates that interact at their boundaries. These interactions are the primary drivers of earthquakes and volcanism.12

• Divergent Boundaries: At oceanic ridges, plates move apart, allowing magma to rise and create new crust. This process is accompanied by frequent shallow earthquakes and volcanic activity.32
• Convergent Boundaries: Where plates collide, one often slides beneath another in a process called subduction. These zones are sites of intense seismic activity, including deep-focus earthquakes, and are responsible for approximately 80 percent of the world's volcanoes.24
• Transform Boundaries: Where plates slide horizontally past each other, such as at the San Andreas Fault, friction causes stress to build up in the rocks. When this stress is released, it results in shallow-focus earthquakes, though these boundaries generally lack volcanic activity.24

In summary, the concentration of seismic and volcanic events along plate edges provides strong evidence for the dynamic nature of Earth's surface.24