The earth can shake.
A rock cracks and slips.
The earth is in big plates.
Plates slip, slide, and stick.
Drop, cover, and hold on.
Hold on till it stops.
Words to know
- plates: big earth pieces
- drop: get down low
- shake: move fast
Facts
Facts the Peabody Encyclopedia for kids
Real facts about everything, written for your grade.
When the Earth Shakes
Earthquakes: What causes earthquakes?
Read next
Sources
- https://www.ready.gov/kids/disaster-facts/earthquakes
- https://www.britannica.com/science/earthquake-geology
- https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-earthquake-and-what-causes-them-happen
- https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/earthq1/where.html
- https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/plate-tectonics.htm
- https://www.shakeout.org/dropcoverholdon/
- https://www.ready.gov/earthquakes
- https://www.conservation.ca.gov/cgs/earthquakes
- https://www.usgs.gov/programs/earthquake-hazards/science/earthquake-early-warning-overview
- https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-ring-fire
- https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/earthq4/severitygip.html
- https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/seismometers-seismographs-seismograms-whats-difference-how-do-they-work
- https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/tsunami.html
- https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/can-you-predict-earthquakes
- https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-should-i-do-during-earthquake
- https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/foreshocks-aftershocks-whats-difference
- https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/understanding.html
- https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/earthq1/predict.html
- https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-difference-between-earthquake-early-warning-earthquake-forecasts-earthquake-probabilities
- https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-are-engineers-working-make-roads-and-buildings-safer
- https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-are-earthquakes-recorded-how-are-earthquakes-measured-how-magnitude-earthquake-determined
- https://www.usgs.gov/programs/earthquake-hazards/earthquake-magnitude-energy-release-and-shaking-intensity
- https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-difference-between-earthquake-magnitude-and-earthquake-intensity-what-modified-mercalli
- https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-magnitude-does-damage-begin-occur-earthquake
- https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-depth-do-earthquakes-occur-what-significance-depth
- https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/can-megaquakes-really-happen-magnitude-10-or-larger
- https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/can-we-cause-earthquakes-there-any-way-prevent-earthquakes
- https://www.britannica.com/science/seismic-wave
- https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-do-seismologists-locate-earthquake
- https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-do-earthquakes-affect-buildings
- https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-liquefaction
- https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-it-about-earthquake-causes-tsunami
- https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/why-are-there-so-many-earthquakes-and-faults-western-united-states
- https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/hazard/tsu.shtml
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