ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

earthquakes

Earthquakes are shaking motions of the ground caused by sudden energy released from deep within Earth's crust. It happens when two pieces of the crust, called tectonic plates, slip suddenly past one another and cause energy to be released from inside the Earth. This energy makes the ground shake, and can cause buildings and other structures to fall or break. Earthquakes can be very scary and can cause a lot of damage.