An Earthquake is a sudden tremor or movement of the earth's crust, which originates

naturally at or below the surface. The word natural is important here, since it excludes
shock waves caused by French nuclear tests, man made explosions and landslides
caused by building work.
There are two main causes of earthquakes.
Firstly, they can be linked to explosive volcanic eruptions; they are in fact very common
in areas of volcanic activity where they either proceed or accompany eruptions.
Secondly, they can be triggered by Tectonic activity associated with plate margins and
faults. The majority of earthquakes world wide are of this type.
Terminology
An earthquake can be likened to the effect observed when a stone is thrown into water.
After the stone hits the water a series of concentric waves will move outwards from the
center. The same events occur in an earthquake. There is a sudden movement within
the crust or mantle, and concentric shock waves move out from that point. Geologists
and Geographers call the origin of the earthquake the focus. Since this is often deep
below the surface and difficult to map, the location of the earthquake is often referred to
as the point on the Earth surface directly above the focus. This point is called the
epicentre.
The strength, or magnitude, of the shockwaves determines the extent of the damage
caused. Two main scales exist for defining the strength, the Mercalli Scale and the
Richter Scale.
Earthquakes are three dimensional events, the waves move outwards from the focus,
but can travel in both the horizontal and vertical plains. This produces three different
types of waves which have their own distinct characteristics and can only move through
certain layers within the Earth. Lets take a look at these three forms of shock waves.
Types of shockwaves
P-Waves
Primary Waves (P-Waves) are identical in character to sound waves. They are high
frequency, short-wavelength, longitudinal waves which can pass through both solids
and liquids. The ground is forced to move forwards and backwards as it is compressed
and decompressed. This produces relatively small displacements of the ground.
P Waves can be reflected and refracted, and under certain circumstances can change
into S-Waves.
Particles are compressed and expanded in the wave's direction.

S-Waves
Secondary Waves (S-Waves) travel more slowly than P-Waves and arrive at any given
point after the P-Waves. Like P-Waves they are high frequency, short-wavelength
waves, but instead of being longitudinal they are transverse. They move in all directions
away from their source, at speeds which depend upon the density of the rocks through
which they are moving. They cannot move through liquids. On the surface of the Earth,
S-Waves are responsible for the sideways displacement of walls and fences, leaving
them 'S' shaped.

S-waves move particles at 90 to the wave's direction.

L-Waves
Surface Waves (L-Waves) are low frequency transverse vibrations with a long
wavelength. They are created close to the epicentre and can only travel through the
outer part of the crust. They are responsible for the majority of the building damage
caused by earthquakes. This is because L Waves have a motion similar to that of waves
in the sea. The ground is made to move in a circular motion, causing it to rise and fall as
visible waves move across the ground. Together with secondary effects such as
landslides, fires and tsunami these waves account for the loss of approximately 10,000
lives and over $100 million per year.

L-waves move particles in a circular path.

Tectonic Earthquakes
Tectonic earthquakes are triggered when the crust becomes subjected to strain, and
eventually moves. The theory of plate tectonics explains how the crust of the Earth is
made of several plates, large areas of crust which float on the Mantle. Since these
plates are free to slowly move, they can either drift towards each other, away from each
other or slide past each other. Many of the earthquakes which we feel are located in the
areas where plates collide or try to slide past each other.

The process which explains these earthquakes, known as Elastic Rebound Theory can
be demonstrated with a green twig or branch. Holding both ends, the twig can be slowly
bent. As it is bent, energy is built up within it. A point will be reached where the twig
suddenly snaps. At this moment the energy within the twig has exceeded the Elastic
Limit of the twig. As it snaps the energy is released, causing the twig to vibrate and to
produce sound waves.
Perhaps the most famous example of plates sliding past each other is the San Andreas
Fault in California. Here, two plates, the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate, are
both moving in a roughly northwesterly direction, but one is moving faster than the
other. The San Francisco area is subjected to hundreds of small earthquakes every
year as the two plates grind against each other. Occasionally, as in 1989, a much larger
movement occurs, triggering a far more violent 'quake'.
Major earthquakes are sometimes preceded by a period of changed activity. This might
take the form of more frequent minor shocks as the rocks begin to move,called
foreshocks , or a period of less frequent shocks as the two rock masses temporarily
'stick' and become locked together. Detailed surveys in San Francisco have shown that
railway lines, fences and other longitudinal features very slowly become deformed as
the pressure builds up in the rocks, then become noticeably offset when a movement
occurs along the fault. Following the main shock, there may be further movements,
called aftershocks, which occur as the rock masses 'settle down' in their new positions.
Such aftershocks cause problems for rescue services, bringing down buildings already
weakened by the main earthquake.
Volcanic Earthquakes
Volcanic earthquakes are far less common than Tectonic ones. They are triggered by
the explosive eruption of a volcano. Given that not all volcanoes are prone to violent
eruption, and that most are 'quiet' for the majority of the time, it is not surprising to find
that they are comparatively rare.
When a volcano explodes, it is likely that the associated earthquake effects will be
confined to an area 10 to 20 miles around its base, where as a tectonic earthquake may
be felt around the globe.
The volcanoes which are most likely to explode violently are those which produce acidic
lava. Acidic lava cools and sets very quickly upon contact with the air. This tends to
chock the volcanic vent and block the further escape of pressure. For example, in the
case of Mt Pelee, the lava solidified before it could flow down the sides of the volcano.
Instead it formed a spine of solid rock within the volcano vent. The only way in which
such a blockage can be removed is by the build up of pressure to the point at which the
blockage is literally exploded out of the way. In reality, the weakest part of the volcano
will be the part which gives way, sometimes leading to a sideways explosion as in the
Mt St.Helens eruption.

A tsunami is a series of fast moving waves in the ocean caused by powerful earthquakes or
volcanic eruptions. A tsunami has a very long wavelength. It can be hundreds of kilometers long.
Usually, a tsunami starts suddenly. The waves travel at a great speed across an ocean with little
energy loss. They can remove sand from beaches, destroy trees, toss and drag vehicles, damage
houses and even destroy whole towns. Tsunamis can also be caused by meteorite impacts.
The water will draw back from the seacoast half of the wave period prior to the wave getting to
the coast. If the slope of the coast is not deep, the water may pull back for hundreds of metres.
People who do not know of the danger will often remain at the shore.

Estimated tsunami travel time forecast map for the 2011 Sendai tsunami, Japan.[1]
Tsunamis cannot be prevented. However, there are ways to help stop people dying from a
tsunami. International and regional warning systems, especially for the Pacific Ocean, issue
alerts before the big waves reach the shore. Because an earthquake that caused the tsunami can
be felt before the wave gets to the shore, people can be warned to go somewhere safe.
The deadliest tsunami recorded was on December 26, 2004. It was caused by an earthquake. The
earthquake was said to have a magnitude of 9.3 on the Moment magnitude scale. It was centered
in the ocean near the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. Over 215,000 people, mainly on the shores of
the Indian Ocean, died from this disaster. The giant wave moved very quickly. Hundreds of
thousands of people in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, India, Somalia, and other nations, were
killed or injured by it.
Tsunamis are often called tidal waves because they usually rise and fall more slowly than
ordinary ocean surface waves. This name is misleading, because tsunamis are not related to tides;
they merely rise slowly like tides do, though less slowly.