What causes earthquakes?

Earthquakes are caused by the sudden release of energy from the Earth’s crust due to the movement of tectonic plates. The Earth’s crust is made up of several large plates that float on the semi-fluid mantle beneath. When these plates shift, either by colliding, sliding past each other, or pulling apart, stress builds up along faults in the crust. When this stress is released, it causes the ground to shake, resulting in an earthquake. The intensity of the earthquake depends on the amount of energy released and the location of the fault.