![]() In California, for example, there are two plates - the Pacific Plate (which extends from western California to Japan, including much of the Pacific Ocean floor) and the North American Plate (which is most of the North American continent and parts of the Atlantic Ocean). Stress builds up and the rocks slip suddenly, releasing energy in waves that travel through the earth's crust and cause the shaking that we feel during an earthquake.įaults are caused by the tectonic plates grinding and scraping against each other as they continuously and slowly move. ![]() Stresses in the earth's outer layer push the sides of the fault together. ![]() FACT: Earthquakes are sudden rolling or shaking events caused by movement under the Earth’s surface.Īn earthquake is the ground shaking caused by a sudden slip on a fault.
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