The planet Earth is covered by a layer formed by land and rocks called the earth's crust or lithosphere. This crust is not smooth and uniform, but rather irregular and composed of tectonic plates, also called lithosphere plates. These plates are not fixed as they are under the magma (high temperature molten rock).
These tectonic plates are in constant movement, exerting pressure on each other. Many earthquakes are caused by the energy released by the collision between these plates. Inhabited regions, which are located in these areas, receive the greatest impact from these earthquakes, because earthquakes concentrate on the boundaries of the lithosphere plate.
