How Earthquakes are Generated?

Earth is made up of distinct layers: Crust ( Oceanic and Continental),

Upper and lower Mantle, and outer and inner Core. Of these layers,
warthquakes occur somewhere in the crust and lithosphere.

Earthquakes are usually caused when underground rock suddenly breaks and

there is rapid motion along a fault. This sudden release of energy causes
the seismic waves that make the ground shake.
Earthquakes occur along faults, which are fractures between blocks of rock that
allow the blocks to move relative to one another. Faults are caused by the
bumping and sliding that plates do and are more common near the edges of the
plates.
 A. Main Layers of the Earth
Three MAIN layers
    a. Core: metallic, made of iron & nickel
    b. Mantle: semi-solid rock
    c. Crust: rigid, brittle, & thin layer of rock

B. Each main layer is subdivided into more layers

The core is divided into....

    a. solid inner core
        i. 1,250 km thick solid inner core
        ii. Temperature = 5500 to 7000 degree C (almost as hot as the sun)
        iii. Composed of nickel and iron, solid due to extreme pressure

    b. Liquid outer core

        i. 2,200 km thick liquid outer core
        ii. Temperature = 6100 to 4400 degree C
        iii. Composed of molten nickel and iron
        iv. outer core spins, creating the Earth's magnetic field that protects from
solar wind
 The Crust is the outermost solid portion of Earth that houses all living
things. It is characterized by various land features that you are commonly
familiar with like volcanoes, islands, continents, and mountains.

The lithosphere is a region that carries the entire crust that extends down to
the upper portion of the asthenosphere. The lithosphere, as previously
mentioned, have segments called Tectonic plates or lithospheric plates.
In terms of properties and composition, Earth scientist found out that the
lithosphere is “Elastic Solid” similar to the rocks of Earth’s crust, the rocks here
are elatic but brittle that they deform or fracture as they receive and store
stress due to the force rendered by the movement of rocks in the
asthenosphere below it.
The upper mantle, is also known as the asthenosphere, from the Greek word
meaning “weak” and sphere, lies beneath the lithosphere. It is about 100-650
km deep and is considered “plastic solid.” The rocks in the asthenosphere are
partially molten due to high pressure and temperature where they are exposed.

The overriding lithosphere and crust exert great pressure to the rocks here
while the temperature is high but still below their melting point. As a result,
rocks in the asthenosphere become elastic and less rigid compared to those in
the lithosphere.

The chemical composition of the lithosphere contains approximately 80

elements and 2000 minerals and compounds, while the slush-like rock in the
asthenosphere is made of iron-magnesium silicates. This is almost identical to
the mesosphere layer. The lithosphere is the outermost mechanical layer, which
behaves as a brittle, rigid solid. The asthenosphere is solid upper mantle
material that is so hot that it behaves plastically and can flow. The lithosphere
rides on the asthenosphere.
Earth, is the third planet from the sun and the only planet known to
maintain life. This layer that maintains life on earth is called the
lithosphere. The Lithosphere is composed of the crust and upper most
solid mantle. While the Asthenosphere, which lies beneath the
lithosphere, is composed of the upper most weaker part of the mantle. As
we move from the lithosphere to the asthenosphere the temperature
increases. This increase in temperature as well as extreme
pressure causes rocks to become plastic. In time these semi molten rocks
will flow. The aforementioned occurrence, at a certain depth and
temperature gives rise to the asthenosphere layer. These two layers are
crucial due to the mechanical changes that occur within these layers.

Scientists believe that this extremely slow movement or tectonic Force enable
lithosphere plates to collide (caused by compressional force), separate ( caused
by tensional force), or slide past each other (caused by shearing force).
As lithospheric plates and thew crust move overtime, their rocks interlock and
deform, which cause stress and friction to build up. When the amount of stress
and friction exceeds the strain threshold of rocks, they fracture, and the
accumulated energy stored in it is released causing tremors—a phenomenon
commonly called Earthquake. Although an earthquake may be described as the
sudden shaking of the ground, it occurs due to the sudden burst of energy
accumulated from the fracturing of interlocking rocks in the crust or lithospheric
plates.
THE PACIFIC RING OF FIRE
The Ring of Fire, also referred to as the Circum-Pacific Belt, is a path along the
Pacific Ocean characterized by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes. Its
length is approximately 40,000 kilometers (24,900 miles). The Ring of Fire is a
region around much of the rim of the Pacific Ocean where many volcanic
eruptions and earthquakes occur. The Ring of Fire is a horseshoe-shaped belt.

The Ring of Fire is a string of volcanoes and sites of seismic activity, or
earthquakes, around the edges of the Pacific Ocean. Roughly 90% of all
earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire, and the ring is dotted with 75% of all
active volcanoes on Earth. The Ring of Fire isn't quite a circular ring.