Earthquakes are caused by the buildup and sudden release of energy along fault lines in the earth's crust. The crust consists of massive tectonic plates that are slowly moving and building up tension over time. When the pressure between plates grows too great, the fault lines suddenly slip, causing the plates to shift. This movement releases seismic waves that radiate outward, shaking the ground and structures on the surface and causing earthquakes.

2. • Definition of earthquakes
• Formation of earthquakes:

3. Earthquakes are the rumblings, shaking or
rolling of the earth's surface. It is usually
what happens when two blocks of the earth
suddenly slip past one another, or break
apart from each other as a result of tension
caused by prolonged energy build up.

4. Earthquakes come in many forms. It can be
felt as a shock under your feet, or may be
very powerful and destructive enough to
flatten an entire city. They can happen
anywhere, land or sea.

5. Earth’s makeup:
• In this diagram, you
will notice that the
inner and outer core
of the earth (middle
part) are liquid in
nature, containing iron
and nickel of extreme
temperatures
(5,500°C).

6. • The Mantle is semi-molten rock, also called
magma. The outer is the crust, which is the
hard part of the earth that forms the surface.
This outer crust includes the land on which
we live, the oceans and ocean deeps and
anything within 40km (approx) down the
earth's surface.
• Earthquakes are developed in the outer crust
of the earth.

7. Steps of formation
• Earthquakes develop in the
crust of the earth. The crust
involves the earth's surface,
submarine levels, down to
the ocean floors. The inner
part of the earth contains
massive energy. Some of
this energy escapes
through cracks and other
volcanic activity, but the
bulk of it is stored within
the earth’s inner part.

8. • The earth’s outer crust is held in place like
a completed jigsaw puzzle, with rough
edges and lines. The energy stored here
causes the pieces to slide, glide, knock and
move around each piece. These pieces
best describe what we call ‘Tectonic
plates’.

9. • After a period of time,
the built up energy and
movement causes huge
tension in the plates, and
there is massive pressure
on the fault lines. This
intense pressure
resulting from energy
build up causes the fault
lines give way, and
plates move over,
against or apart from
each other.

10. • There is an earthquake at this point. In the
form of seismic waves (like water ripples)
the escaping energy radiates outward
from the fault in all directions. The seismic
waves shake the earth as they move
through it. When the waves reach the
earth’s surface, they shake the ground and
anything on it, tearing down houses and
structures.