An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves . Earthquakes are recorded with a seismometer , also known as a seismograph . The moment magnitude of an earthquake is conventionally reported, or the related and mostly obsolete Richter magnitude , with magnitude 3 or lower earthquakes being mostly imperceptible and magnitude 7 causing serious damage over large areas. Intensity of shaking is measured on the modified Mercalli scale.

At the Earth's surface, earthquakes manifest themselves by a shaking and sometimes displacement of the ground. When a large earthquake epicenter is located offshore, the seabed sometimes suffers sufficient displacement to cause a tsunami . The shaking in earthquakes can also trigger landslides and occasionally volcanic activity.

In its most generic sense, the word earthquake is used to describe any seismic event—whether a natural phenomenon or an event caused by humans—that generates seismic waves. Earthquakes are caused mostly by rupture of geological faults , but also by volcanic activity, landslides, mine blasts, and nuclear experiments.

An earthquake's point of initial rupture is called its focus or hypocenter. The term epicenter means the point at ground level directly above this.

地震的能量突然释放的结果创造了地震波在地壳中。地震检波器记录,也称为地震仪。地震的矩震级是常规报道,或相关的,大多是过时的里克特震级,3级或低主要是无法察觉的,7级地震导致大面积严重损害。震动强度是衡量麦式震级范围修改。

显现在地球的表面,地震的震动,有时位移。当大地震震中位于海外,海底有时会出现足够的位移导致海啸。地震的震动也能引发山体滑坡和偶尔的火山活动。

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在其最一般的意义上说,“地震”这个词是用来描述任何地震event-whether自然现象或一个事件引起的人类产生地震波。地震是主要由地质断层破裂引起的,但也受到火山活动,山体滑坡,我的爆炸,核的实验。

地震的初始破裂称为它的焦点或震源。这个词意味着中心指向地面的正上方。