An earthquake is the shaking of the earth’s surface when two blocks of the earth’s surface suddenly slip past each other. It results from the sudden release of energy in the lithosphere layer of the earth, creating seismic waves. The surface where the plates slip is called the fault plane or, simply, fault. A hypocenter is called the location below the earth’s surface where the earthquake starts, and the location just below the hypocenter is called the epicentre. 

Earthquakes can range in size; some are so weak that they can’t be felt, and some are violent enough to cause destruction and propel organisms into the air. Earthquakes can trigger tsunamis, landslides, and occasionally volcanic activities.

Volcanism: Cause of Earthquakes

If thinking what volcanism is, it is the volcanic activity with which a separate type of earthquake is associated, and the same is also called a volcanic earthquake. Yet it is likely that even in this particular case, the disturbance is caused due to the sudden slip of rock masses adjacent to the volcano and the consequent release of elastic strain energy. Due to the heat provided by the magma flowing in the reservoirs beneath the volcano, the stored energy, however, may in part be of hydrodynamic origin. 

How are earthquakes and volcanoes related?

There has been a clear correspondence between the major earthquakes and the distribution of volcanoes geographically, specifically in the Circum-pacific Belt and along oceanic ridges.

To know better about the relation between earthquakes and volcanoes, it is better to know what volcanoes are and how they erupt?

What are the volcanoes?

When talking about what are volcanoes, these are the rupture in the crust of the earth, allowing the hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from the magma chamber beneath the surface. Volcanoes on the earth are mostly found at the place where tectonic plates are either diverging or converging and also are found underwater. 

If wondering how volcanoes erupt, the hot temperature deep within the earth is the cause for the same. Due to the hot temperature, rocks deep within the earth start melting and become a thick flowing substance known as magma. Now that it is lighter than the solid rocks, magma rises and is collected in the magma chambers. Eventually, some magma is pushed through the vents and fissured to the surface of the Earth. 

Now that you know what volcanoes and their eruption are let us inform you that both volcanoes and earthquakes occur because of the movement of the Earth’s tectonic plates. Not only can earthquakes through the severe movement of tectonic plates trigger volcanoes, but volcanoes also contribute a lot in triggering earthquakes through the movement of magma with a volcano. 

Volcanoes triggering earthquakes

The movement of magma beneath the earth’s surface triggers the volcano-tectonic earthquake. Due to the movement, the pressure changes where the rock around the magma has experienced stress. This stress can result in the rock moving or breaking, which further triggers an earthquake at some point in time. 

What are the effects of earthquakes?

Now that it is known what earthquakes are, what volcanoes are, how they cause earthquakes, it’s time to learn about the effects of the earthquakes. Following mentioned are the effects of earthquakes:

• Ground shaking and structural failure: Ground shaking is the ground’s vibration caused during the earthquake. The seismic waves pass beneath the roads, buildings, and other structures that cause earthquake damage. 
• Surface rupture and ground displacement: Surface rupture is the primary earthquake hazard. The vertical or horizontal movement of either side of the ruptured fault causes surface rupture. Ground displacement caused by earthquakes affects large land areas and damages the structures, railways, pipelines, and roads.
• Landslides: Landslides and mudslides are sometimes caused due to earthquakes, especially in regions with water-soaked soils. Landslides caused by earthquakes result in falling rocks and debris harming animals, people, buildings, and trees.
• Liquefaction is the shaking of the earth’s surface from an earthquake that might turn loose soil into a liquid during the earthquake. Liquefaction can undermine the foundations of the buildings, bridges, roads, which further causes them to sink into the ground.
• Tsunamis: The earthquakes generated within the ocean can result in the occurrence of tsunamis which is a series of long waves. Large tsunamis can be life-threatening for humans, animals, properties, and infrastructure.
• Fires: Fires caused by earthquakes are the second most common effect. When electrical and gas lines are dislodged because of the shaking of the earth’s surface, it is when the earthquake fires are started. 

Conclusion

An earthquake is the shaking of the earth’s surface due to the release of energy in the lithosphere layer of the earth, creating seismic waves. The main effect of an earthquake is that it causes damage to property, humans, animals, trees, buildings, and infrastructure. In this article, you will learn about earthquakes, their effects, what volcanoes are, and how they trigger earthquakes.