This model shows how mega earthquakes form in subduction zones. Mega earthquakes occur within the boundaries of converging plates, where one tectonic plate is forced to pass below another. The mega-quakes are caused by the slide along the thrust failure that forms contact between the two plates. These earthquakes are the most powerful, with a current magnitude higher than 9.0. Reverse failures responsible for mega earthquakes are usually at the bottom of ocean holes, where earthquakes can abrupt