Why Earthquakes Happen – and Why We Still Can’t Predict Them.

By Zainab Khawaja

Whenever the ground shakes, it’s a reminder of how wild and unpredictable nature can be. Earthquakes can hit out of nowhere, causing a lot of damage in just a few seconds. So, what causes them, and can we figure out when the next one is coming?

Let’s break down what we know about earthquakes, how scientists make predictions, and why it’s such a tough puzzle to solve.

What Actually Causes an Earthquake?

Earthquakes happen because of the movement of big chunks of rock beneath the Earth’s surface, known as tectonic plates. These plates are constantly shifting, but they don’t always slide easily. Sometimes they get stuck. When the stress builds up too much, they suddenly release energy in the form of seismic waves, which is what we feel during an earthquake.

These breaks usually occur along fault lines, where two tectonic plates meet. Some faults move very slowly over many years, while others hold tension for centuries before releasing it all at once.

How Earthquakes Behave?

Earthquakes aren’t all alike. They vary in:

• Magnitude (how strong they are)
• - Depth (how far below the surface…