earthquake cultural definition

A tremor of the surface of the Earth, sometimes severe and devastating, which results from shock waves generated by the movement of rock masses deep within the Earth, particularly near boundaries of tectonic plates. (See fault, Richter scale, and seismology.)

• Earthquakes are particularly likely where such plates are sliding past each other, as in the San Andreas Fault.
• Earthquakes cannot be accurately predicted, although the likelihood of a region's suffering an earthquake can be estimated.