Why does Japan China Pakistan etc... have bigger Earthquakes than America?

Question

I noticed that Earthquakes over there last longer and are felt harder than here in America. Well history has it, but it's nothing compared to Japan or China? (which the recent Earthquake was about 3-4 minutes)

Answer 1

None of the earthquake takes that long.

Answer 2

Japan has them because they are located on an Island Arc so subduction is going on right underneath.

China and Pakistan are by the continental collision of the India Plate into the Eurasian Plate.

They also will seem worse due to poor building practices in China and Pakistan. Japan and the USA have the strictest building codes in the world.

Answer 3

The earthquake sensed by my simple earthquake alarm on the day of Tsunami that is on 26th Dec 2004 was lasted for 12 minutes.That is why I alerted the people at our local T.V.station.They refused to broad cast the warning message.At last we lost the life of 260,000 in total.The meteorological department also recorded this event well in advance but they failed to alert the people in time.

Answer 4

American plate is not in collision but in expansion from Europe.

The most critic points on the Earth are in Japan, Indonesia and next to the Himalaya. Generally were there are big mountains there have been big earthquake activities.