Tectonic Plates and Earthquakes Explained

Earth's surface is actually made of giant puzzle pieces constantly moving beneath our

feet right now. These massive rock slabs, called tectonic plates,

float on Earth's hot liquid mantle like ice on water. Think of them as extremely slow-moving

bumper cars. When plates crash into each other, one usually dives beneath the other

in a process called subduction. This creates intense pressure and friction underground.

Sometimes, plates get stuck while trying to move past each other. The pressure builds

up over years until - SNAP - they suddenly break free. That violent release of energy creates

seismic waves that shake the ground, giving us earthquakes. This is why places like California