Earthquakes are natural phenomenon that can be both fascinating and terrifying. They occur when the earth’s surface shakes or vibrates due to movement in earth’s crust. In this blog post, we will explore what causes earthquakes and some of their effects.
Plate Tectonics
The primary cause of earthquakes is due to plate tectonics – the movement of plates that make up the earth’s crust. The outermost layer of our planet is broken into several large pieces called tectonic plates, which move slowly on top of a layer called asthenosphere. These plates can collide with each other, move away from each other, or slide past one another.
When these tectonic plates move against each other or suddenly break apart, they release energy in the form of seismic waves that travel through the ground and shake everything above it – resulting in an earthquake.
Natural Disasters
Natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions, landslides or avalanches can also trigger earthquakes. For example, a volcanic eruption occurs when molten rock (magma) rises from deep within the earth towards its surface; if there is enough pressure build-up beneath it then it might cause an earthquake near where magma meets solid rock underground.
Similarly , landslides caused by heavy rainfalls destabilize slopes & may sometimes lead to minor tremors while major ones could lead to severe quakes .
Human Activities
Human activities such as mining operations and hydraulic fracturing (“fracking“) have been known to cause small-scale earthquakes. Fracking involves pumping water under high pressure into rocks deep beneath the ground so as to fracture them for oil extraction ; however ,these fractures may continue beyond expected limits leading up-to quakes . Similarly Mining Operations involving blasting explosives underground have led upto minor tremors too .
In conclusion, earthquakes are a natural disaster that can be caused by several factors – the most significant of which is plate tectonics. Natural disasters and human activities like mining & fracking have also been known to cause small-scale tremors or quakes . Earthquakes can cause widespread damage and destruction, so it is important to understand what causes them and how we can minimize their impact on our lives.
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