What causes an earthquake?
by 
annielee_83
ANSWERS: 5
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Movement of tectonic plates on the layer of lava right below the crust known as the mantle. Sometimes they (the plates or pieces of hard-rock earth crust) scratch by each other and -boom- shaking Earth.
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The planet is made up plates. At certain points around the earth these plates meet. Where they meet they cause friction by rubbing against each other and when they eventually shift it causes an earthquake. The San Andreas fault for example runs the whole length of the pacific ocean/americas, starting in the far south (below argentina) and ending in the far north (around alaska). The continental plate (land side) is slowly sliding north while the oceanic plate (ocean side) is sliding south. Most of this happens out at see so is not really noticed, but the section of california around/just north of san francisco has this happening on land. Every now and again the plates suddenly jump a few inches instead of slowly sliding. This then causes and earthquake.
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Earthquakes are caused by the build up of stress along fractures in Earth's crust. Friction within the fracture prevents the rocks on either side of the fracture from sliding past each other as these stresses build up. So, the rocks deform and build up energy. Eventually, the stress get to be too great for the friction and movement occurs along the fault. When this happens, the energy stored in the rocks is released all at once causing an earthquake.
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God while hes tap dancing, snoring or jumping up and down. Lol that would be funny, I think he should cut back a bit... Seriously though, doesn't it have something to do with plate movements beneath the Earth?
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non scientific answer comming...too many bariatric people in the world...the 'pc' term
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