What causes an earthquake?

Question

What causes an earthquake?

Answer 1

faulting, a sudden lateral or vertical movement of rock along a rupture (break) surface

Answer 2

When tectonic plates move in diff directions

They can slide past each other, slide beneath each other, or pull apart.

The seismic waves that radiate away from the epicenter are what actually causes the 'earthquake' that we feel. But an earthquake is basically just sliding of earth's crust

Answer 3

When tectonic plates (which are wayyy below) fall off one another or slide or collide. Something like that.

ORR...when someone heavy stomps on the ground! AHAHAHA... Okay, lame. Sorry. :P :]

Answer 4

Movment inside the layer of ground

Answer 5

An Earthquake is a sudden tremor or movement of the earth's crust, which originates naturally at or below the surface. The word natural is important here, since it excludes shock waves caused by French nuclear tests, man made explosions and landslides caused by building work.

Answer 6

When tectonic plates under the earth collide.

Answer 7

A type of earthquake called harmonic tremor occurs in and around volcanoes when magma moves underground. these differ from "normal'  earthquakes in that instead of a short, sharp shock, there is a constant kind of vibration or tremble that can last for days to weeks.

Answer 8

techtonic plates smashing together under the earth.

Answer 9

Earthquakes are caused by the movements of the earth, The earth is constantly moving and not just in circles. Parts of the earth called plates stretch and compress puting the earth under a lot of stress resulting in tremmors and waves of movement to be forced upward from the epicenter shifting the earth noticably.