How do earthquakes happen?

The ground might feel pretty firm under your feet, but it’s actually far from stable.

The surface of our planet is constantly on the move – rising, sinking and being stretched or squashed. Pressure builds up in the crust – the solid layer we stand on. The Earth’s crust is broken into huge sections, known as tectonic plates. Rocks at the edges of the tectonic plates push and rub against each other. When that pressure is released suddenly, the rocks break or slip. The energy ripples through the ground, making the surface buckle and shake. The greater the energy released, the more powerful the earthquake.