<span>The correct answer is plate tectonics. The outermost shell of Earth, called the lithosphere, is partitioned into different tectonic plates (7 or 8 major ones). When a plate breaks along what are called faults, there is a release of energy, which causes seismic waves (the ground shaking). This shaking then causes several plates to rub against each other, and when they break, the earthquake results.</span>
erosion and land water cause the ground to do either two things.
erosion causes the soil on top to be picked up by moving water or pounding and splashing water from the rain. this soil is usually moved to the bottom or to the lowest level around it.
land water, which causes the soil under to become softer and is able to become more and more compact and able to turn to petrified soil or even rock.
C. Atmosphere - which is the one sphere that means "air" or "gasses". The other ones mean, Biosphere = "living", Lithosphere = "land", and Hydrosphere = "water"
