tectonic earthquake

A tectonic earthquake is caused by the sudden release of stored energy in Earth's crust, primarily due to the movement of tectonic plates. These plates are large slabs of rock that float on a semi-fluid layer beneath them and are constantly in motion. When these plates interact at their boundaries, they can collide, pull apart, or slide past each other along faults, which are fractures in the crust.123

The stress that builds up at these fault lines can eventually cause the rocks to fracture and slip, releasing energy as seismic waves. This process is explained by the elastic rebound theory, where rocks snap back to a less strained position, generating the vibrations we feel as an earthquake. These seismic waves travel through the Earth's interior and along its surface, causing the ground to shake.145