What Cause the Earth Quake

Natural calamities are predictable, but inevitable. One of them is earthquake! So what is an earthquake? In simple terms, one can call it as shaking and vibration of the earth. And what causes an earthquake to happen? Frequent volcanic activities and constant movement of tectonic plates underground are palpable causes of earthquakes. So now that we know a little bit on what causes an earthquake, let's understand the different types and reasons for earthquakes.

Causes of Earthquakes

Before understanding types of earthquakes, it is important to know what causes earthquakes. So here you go! Basically, the earth crust is constituted of a solid core, molten magma mantle and the tectonic plates that constitute the crust. These plates are in constant motion due to the convection currents of the magma and hence are either sliding against each other or moving away from each other. Although there is constant motion under the grounds, none of these are felt by us.

So, due to this constant motion over the years, mountains and valleys are formed, with the former being formed when plates converge, causing one plate to go below the other. However if the plates move in different direction, sliding against each other, due to the friction generated, some sections of these plates lock together, causing a lot of kinetic energy to build up. The line of intersection which contains the point of friction between these plates, is often known as the earthquake fault line. These earthquake fault lines are often called fractures in the earth's crust. So when the plates start moving, the stored energy is released from the point of intersection (also known as the hypocenter), in the form of an earthquake. Hope, this answers your query, what causes an earthquake.