What do you mean by earthquake?

An earthquake is the shaking of the Earth's surface caused by the sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust. Earthquakes occur when rocks beneath the Earth's surface break or slip along faults. This release of energy creates seismic waves, which cause the ground to shake. Earthquakes can range from small tremors to large, destructive events. The Richter scale is commonly used to measure the magnitude of an earthquake. Earthquakes are natural disasters that can cause significant damage to buildings, infrastructure, and even result in loss of life.