What are the Main Causes of Earthquake?
By BYJU'S Exam Prep
Updated on: September 11th, 2023
The Main Causes of Earthquakes are the Movement of Tectonic Plates, Volcanic Eruptions, Underground Explosions, Induced Quaking (Human Activities), etc. Apart from these, earthquakes can be caused by a number of geological factors, natural phenomena, and human activity. An earthquake occurs when two sections of the earth suddenly slide behind each other. The surface on which they slide is called the fault or fault plane.
Table of content
Main Causes of Earthquake
Find more details about the different types of earthquakes and what causes them here:
| Type | Cause |
| Tectonic Earthquake | The movement of tectonic plates is a geological fault that causes the earth’s crust to break, resulting in an earthquake. |
| Volcanic Earthquake | Volcanic activities can cause disruptions on the earth’s surface, causing shifts in the tectonic plates, and resulting in earthquakes. |
| Collapse Earthquake | Human activities such as mining, tunnel, construction, etc. can produce seismic waves, which can cause earthquakes. |
| Explosion Earthquake | The force that releases when a nuclear or chemical device is launched can cause earthquakes. |
Read: The Intensity of an Earthquake is Measured on
What are Earthquakes?
Earthquakes can occur in intensity, which is so weak that they cannot be felt, that is violent enough to carry objects and people into the air and wreak havoc on entire cities. It is the movement of the Earth’s surface that produces seismic waves as a result of the sudden release of energy in the Earth’s lithosphere.
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