Earthquakes are caused by the sudden release of energy from movement of tectonic plates. The focus is the point where faulting begins underground, and the epicenter is the point directly above on the surface. Seismographs record earthquake waves, and the difference in arrival times of P and S waves at multiple stations can be used to locate the epicenter through triangulation. The strength of an earthquake is measured by both its magnitude on the Richter scale and the observed intensity of ground shaking and damage. Most earthquakes occur along plate boundaries like the Ring of Fire in the Pacific.