Earthquakes are the result of plate tectonics, or shifting plates in the crust of Earth, and quakes occur when the frictional stress of gliding plate boundaries builds and causes failure at a fault line. In an earthquake, elastic strain energy is released and waves radiate, shaking the ground. Scientists can predict where major temblors might occur in a general sense, but research does not yet allow forecasts for specific locations or accurate predictions of timing. Major earthquakes, some generating tsunamis, have leveled entire cities and affected whole countries. Relatively minor earthquakes can also be induced, or caused by human activity, including extraction of minerals from Earth and the collapse of large buildings.
Latest about Earthquakes
Aftershocks from devastating 1886 Charleston earthquake may still be hitting the US today
Researchers have found evidence that aftershocks may continue for centuries after a major earthquake — though the finding is still open for debate.
Simultaneous rupture of faults triggered massive earthquake in Seattle area 1,100 years ago — and it could happen again
Fossilized tree analysis finds a single massive earthquake may have rocked what is now Seattle around 1,100 years ago rather than several smaller quakes, and that another equally powerful one could hit the city in the future.
Here's why Morocco's quake was so deadly — and what we can do for the next one
More than 2,500 people died when a powerful magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Morocco on Sept. 8.
Deadly swarm of earthquakes in Japan caused by magma moving through extinct volcano
Over 10,000 earthquakes have hit the Noto Peninsula over the last three years. They are believed to be emanating from an long-dead volcano, with fluids pushing through the collapsed system.
Predicting earthquakes is currently impossible. GPS data could help change that
GPS data can track slight tremors underground that could help predict earthquakes two hours in advance.
450-mile-wide solid metal ball forms Earth's innermost core, earthquake waves reveal
Scientists calculated the diameter of Earth's innermost core using earthquake waves that bounced through the planet 'like ping-pong balls.'
Why was the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria so deadly?
The Feb. 6 earthquake in Turkey and Syria was so deadly because the region sits on a boundary between multiple tectonic plates, while soil and building conditions make strong earthquakes more likely to cause damage.
How big is the largest possible earthquake?
The amount of energy released in an earthquake is controlled by how much of the crust breaks. The good news is, we're not likely to see a magnitude 10.
