Earthquakes happen because Earth’s crust is broken into moving plates, and those plates do not slide perfectly smoothly. Stress builds up along faults until the rock finally gives way and releases energy in a sudden shake.
That energy travels as seismic waves, which is why the ground can move far from the fault itself. Aftershocks happen because the crust is still adjusting after the main release.
So the short version is tectonic stress, sudden slip, and waves of energy moving outward. Earth is basically reminding everyone that the ground is not as fixed as it feels.
Sources
More in Science
Are alien abduction experiences real or explainable by psychology and sleep?
Most alien abduction stories fit sleep paralysis, vivid dreaming, suggestion, and memory effects better than literal extraterrestrial contact.
🔬 Science 5 weeks ago 3 min readCould a large undiscovered primate like Bigfoot still exist in North America?
It’s extraordinarily unlikely. A breeding population would leave bones, DNA, roadkill, or fossils, and North America has no credible evidence of that.
🔬 Science 5 weeks ago 2 min readDoes a true self actually exist?
Psychology treats the true self more like a useful belief or story than a measurable inner object.
🔬 Science 2 weeks ago 2 min read