An earthquake is an act of nature. It cannot becontrolled by phone. About one million earthquake
occur every year. Many earthquakes are small but
some are dangerous.
An earthquake is caused by sudden movement of the
earth's surface. This happens when energy is
suddenly released from within the earth.
Earthquakes are commonly caused by movement of
the earth's plates. These plates squeeze and stretch
and can sometimes cause the surface of the earth to
break.
The surface of the earth is like a jigsaw puzzle. It's
not just one piece of land, but also about 20 pieces
that are always moving. We don't feel this
movement because the pieces move quite slowly.
Each of these pieces is called a tectonic plate. When
one tectonic plate slips under or against another
tectonic plate, an earthquake occurs.​