How are Earthquakes Created

An earthquake is mainly created when the crust becomes stressed and slips suddenly, as the result of tectonics having moved. The movement of tectonic plates is very slow, and pressure within the earth’s crust builds up as they collide or slide past each other. Over hundreds of years, the pressure builds up, and when it finally becomes stronger than the rocks, all that energy is suddenly released creating an earthquake. The plate boundaries are made up of many faults, and most of the earthquakes around the world occur on these faults. The edges of the plates are rough; they get stuck while the rest of the plate keeps moving. Finally, when the plate has moved far enough, the edges separate on one of the faults causing an earthquake.