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Earthquakes are tremors or vibrations in the Earth's crust that are caused by the build up or accumulation of pressure (more correctly termed stress).

This accumulation of stress causes the rocks that make up the crust to deform elastically. This is very similar to what happens when you squash or stretch a spring and causes a form of energy to be stored in the rocks of the crust - technically described as elastic potential energy.

When this stress gets to large, it exceeds the strength of the rocks in the crust and causes a brittle failure. Brittle failures are failures where fractures form through the material.

This sudden brittle failure causes all of the elastic potential energy to be released at one time in the form of seismic waves, just as if a spring or elastic band that was being stretched suddenly snapped.

These seismic waves cause the tremors that people feel on the surface and which can cause damage to buildings and other structures.

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14y ago
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12y ago

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Q: What causes an earthquake to happen?
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Related questions

What causes an earthquake and how you know weather it is likely to happen in a particular location?

It is when two tectonic plates collide and they rubs, this causes the rubble which you get from the earthquake. You only get earthquakes if your country is in between a tectonic plate or on the tectonic plate.


When did the Italy earthquake happen?

This earthquake happen in januray 22,2009


How does happen after a earthquake?

a earthquake happens whaen a plate moves that what happen when we had the christchurch earthquake happened.


What causes the ground to shake?

When the plates underground ( not the eating plates ) collide it causes what we call a tremor or simply an earthquake. This can also happen underwater but we call it a tsunami.


What causes the ground shake?

When the plates underground ( not the eating plates ) collide it causes what we call a tremor or simply an earthquake. This can also happen underwater but we call it a tsunami.


Where has a earthquake happen?

Earthquakes can happen in the Philippines, Or China We Had An Earthquake In Canada Too...


Does a under water volcano cause a tsunami?

yes they do because it causes a earthquake under the water and that's how tsunamis happen


What does the rotation of earth causes?

earthquake No, not earthquake, but changes in atmospheric pressure.


When do earthquake mostly happen?

Earthquake mostly happen around the ring of fire, around the Pacific ocean.


Can an earthquake happen in Ohio?

An earthquake can happen anywhere. But some places are more active than others.


What happen after the Japan earthquake?

A tsunami hit japan after the earthquake.


When did White Earthquake happen?

White Earthquake happened in 1995.