Earthquakes that cause severe damage are likely to have what characteristics?

A shallow focus.

Explanation:

What is shallow focus earthquake?

SHALLOW FOCUS earthquakes are commonly occurring “crustal” earthquakes, caused by faults and movements of the continental plates. These are earthquakes with their focus nearer the surface of the earth. Shallow focus earthquakes are usually of large spread, causing greater damage at the surface or the earth's crust.

a mid-ocean ridge or mid-oceanic ridge is an underwater mountain range, formed by plate tectonics. this uplifting of the ocean floor occurs when convection currents rise in the mantle beneath the oceanic crust and create magma where two tectonic plates meet at a divergent boundary.a geomagnetic reversal is a change in a planet's magnetic field such that the positions of magnetic north and magnetic south are interchanged.