What is Earthquakes' cousins?

Earthquakes have cousins called volcanic eruptions, they're both caused by big movements deep inside the Earth.

Imagine you're playing with clay, and it’s really squishy. If you push your hands together hard, the clay might pop out in a messy way. That’s like what happens when there's a volcanic eruption, molten rock, called lava, pushes up through the Earth’s crust and spills out.

Earthquakes happen when rocks inside the Earth suddenly slip past each other. Volcanic eruptions happen when pressure builds up under the ground until it bursts out. Both are caused by big movements deep in the Earth, like a giant, invisible game of tug-of-war or a very angry clay sculpture!

Sometimes, these cousins even team up! An earthquake can trigger a volcanic eruption, and a big eruption can cause shaking too. They're not quite twins, but they’re definitely cousins who live under our feet. Earthquakes have cousins called volcanic eruptions, they're both caused by big movements deep inside the Earth.