What Causes Earthquakes?

Earthquakes are not associated with the weather but instead are natural disasters. An earthquake is a tremor below the surface of the Earth which causes shaking of the Earth’s crust. The Main Causes of Earthquakes are

Causes of Earthquakes

Earthquakes are generally caused by sudden forces because of the following reasons:

Plate tectonics:

Most earthquakes occur because of the movement of tectonic plates. They are caused when two plates either slip past each other or collide against each other. Under such circumstances, their edges produce faults along the lines of weakness.

Isostatic disturbances:

Earthquakes may occur when disturbances are produced by the deposition of sediments by rivers and glaciers on the ocean floor. Because the asthenosphere (the upper layer of the Earth’s mantle) is in the semi-molten state, any disturbance in the equilibrium between oceans and continents may result in movements causing earthquakes.

Man-made causes of Earthquakes:

Construction of large dams near the fault zones may result in isostatic movements causing earthquakes.


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Earthquakes are not associated with the weather but instead are natural disasters. An earthquake is a tremor below the surface of the Earth which causes shaking of the Earth’s crust. Read more

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