What Causes Earthquakes

Earthquakes occur when there is a sudden release of energy within the Earth's crust, usually due to the movement of tectonic plates. The Earth's outer shell is made up of large, rigid plates that float on a layer of molten rock beneath. When these plates move due to forces like pressure, friction, or the heat from the Earth's core they can get stuck against each other. When the stress becomes too great, the plates suddenly slip or shift, releasing a large amount of energy in the form of seismic waves, which we feel as an earthquake.

How Are Earthquakes Measured

Earthquakes are measured using seismographs, instruments that detect and record the seismic waves produced during an earthquake. These waves move through the Earth at different speeds, and the seismograph helps scientists determine the earthquake's magnitude and epicenter the location on the Earth's surface directly above where the earthquake originated. The scale used to measure the strength of an earthquake is called the Richter scale, which helps determine how much damage an earthquake might cause based on its size. Shutdown123