Why do earthquakes happen?

Try putting two blocks beside each other. Notice that if you move one block, the other block would move, too. Just imagine if these blocks had jagged edges between them. Surely, you can elicit a greater response from the other block if you tried to move one block, right?

This is also how the plates beneath the Earth act. They form different layers, which are not made up one piece, instead, they are broken down like puzzle pieces beside each other. These plates tend to move as they cool down due to the pull of gravity and due to the push of new lithospheric material coming from ocean ridges as well. When they move, earthquakes occur but these movements are mostly felt along plate boundaries.

When these plates merge, there are many possible results. For example, one plate can slide down beneath another plate. They could also collide against each other thus forming mountains. Sometimes, plates also diverge or separate from each other and lava comes out forming a new crust. This often happens underwater. Some plates could also slide against each other, but in opposite directions. Sometimes, they are locked together, due to the jagged edges, storing potential energy in them.

The potential energy when released then causes earthquakes. This power is then emitted to the rest of the plate like a wave. These waves, according to mathematician A.E.H. Love make the ground twist from one side to the other, which is why buildings and other infrastructures on the Earth’s surface becomes damaged.

Earthquakes actually happen many times in a day because the plates beneath the surface are constantly moving. However, they are usually of low intensity and we do not even feel their existence at all. For cases that high intensity earthquakes happen, it is best that we always know what to do when faced with such situations.