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You are here: Home / Universe / What Causes Earthquakes?

What Causes Earthquakes?

May 28, 2020 by Karen Hill

The outer layer, or crust, of the earth is made up of plates that are constantly moving past one another in very slow side-to-side and up-and-down movements. These movements cause the earth’s rocks to rub against and slide past each other at their outer edges, creating a break in the crust.

This break is called a fault. Faults can lie far below the surface of the earth, or they may be at the top and visible.

As the plates’ movements travel away from the fault, they cause vibrations in the rocks for many miles around. These vibrations cause the ground to split open. This splitting is called an earthquake. Earthquakes are capable of destroying roads, buildings, and human life.

The San Andreas fault, which caused the great San Francisco earthquake in 1906, is 600 miles long!

Related Facts

  • How Many Earthquakes Occur In the World Each Year and Where Do Most Earthquakes Occur On Earth?
  • Where Do Most Earthquakes In the United States Occur and Can Earthquakes Occur In Illinois and Missouri?
  • How Is the Probability of Future Earthquakes Calculated and Can Earthquakes Be Predicted By Geologists?
  • Who Discovered that Earthquakes occur along Fault Lines and Where do Earthquakes come from?
  • Are Earthquakes Liable To Happen Anywhere?
  • How Are Earthquakes Measured?
  • How do scientists know the difference between new earthquakes and aftershocks?
  • Do the tidal waves that are caused by earthquakes sink ships at sea?
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  • Where Do Most Earthquakes Happen On Earth and Where Is the Pacific Ring of Fire Located?
  • Why Does California Have So Many Earthquakes and Which Two Tectonic Plates Form the The San Andreas Fault?
  • Why Does Mexico Have So Many Earthquakes and Volcanoes and What Was the Biggest Earthquake To Hit Mexico?

Filed Under: Universe

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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