Why Do Earthquakes Happen?

  An earthquake (sometimes spelled humorously or mistakenly as earthquack) is a sudden shaking of the ground caused by the movement of the Earth's tectonic plates.

🔍 Why Do Earthquakes Happen?

Earthquakes happen when there’s a sudden release of energy in the Earth’s crust. This usually occurs along faults (cracks in the Earth’s surface) where tectonic plates are either colliding, pulling apart, or sliding past each other.

🌍 Main Causes:

• Tectonic plate movement (most common)

• Volcanic activity

• Human activities (like mining or large explosions)

📈 How They’re Measured:

Earthquakes are measured using a seismograph, and their strength is reported on the Richter scale or Moment Magnitude Scale (Mw):

• 3.0 or below – Usually not felt

• 4.0–5.0 – Noticeable but usually not destructive

• 6.0–6.9 – Can cause serious damage in populated areas

• 7.0 and above – Major earthquake

⚠️ Effects:

• Ground shaking

• Buildings and bridges collapsing

• Landslides

• Tsunamis (if under the ocean)

Let me know if you want it explained in simpler words or in Hindi too!