An earthquake is the sudden movement of the Earth’s crust or vibration of Earth’s surface. It starts at a specific point known as the focus and spreads circularly in all directions. These vibrations cause severe damages. The reason behind this unexpected movement is an abrupt release of energy that has travelled through the solid rocks from underground to the surface. The intensity or fastness of the earthquake is measured on the Richter Scale from 1 to 8. Small tremors, called
῾aftershocks’, may occur after a big earthquake. Earthquakes generally take place at the following places:
♦ where mountain chains are being uplifted;
♦ where active volcanoes are present; and,
♦ near minor tectonic plates.