What is an earthquake?

An earthquake is a sudden, violent, shaking of the ground. Earthquakes typically cause great destruction as the result of movements within the earth’s crust or volcanic action.

Earthquakes are caused by the release of built-up pressure inside the Earth’s crust. An earthquake’s power is measured on the Richter scale using an instrument called a ‘seismometer’.

The effects of an earthquake can be devastating; they can destroy settlements, change landscapes and cause many deaths.