sudden, violent shaking of the earth caused by movement of tectonic plates, or trembles of any kind.
From Old English 'cwacian,' meaning 'to shake' or 'to tremble.' The word has Germanic roots and was originally used to describe any shaking motion before becoming specifically associated with earthquakes.
Earthquake prediction is basically impossible right now, but scientists can map fault lines and estimate probability—yet the 2011 Japan earthquake was way stronger than anyone predicted, reminding us how much we don't know about our planet!
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