* Stress: The lithosphere is constantly under stress from tectonic plate movement. This stress can be:
* Compressional stress: Pushing rocks together.
* Tensional stress: Pulling rocks apart.
* Shear stress: Rocks sliding past each other.
* Strain: The rocks deform (change shape) under stress. This deformation is called strain.
* Fault: When the stress exceeds the strength of the rocks, they break along a fault line. Faults are fractures in the Earth's crust.
* Earthquake: The sudden release of energy along a fault causes vibrations that travel through the Earth as seismic waves, resulting in an earthquake.
In summary: Earthquakes happen when stress builds up in the lithosphere, eventually causing rocks to break along a fault, releasing energy as seismic waves.
