Every Type of Earthquake Explained in 16 Minutes

Every type of earthquake explained in 16 minutes—from tectonic and volcanic earthquakes to deep earthquakes and human-induced seismic activity. Discover what causes earthquakes, how faults move, and why one earthquake can belong to several categories at once. How can an earthquake be tectonic, shallow, and strike-slip at the same time? Each label answers a different question about what happens beneath our feet. This video connects those classifications to make earthquake science easier to understand. Explore how tectonic plates build stress, how faults release stored energy as seismic waves, and how normal, reverse, thrust, strike-slip, and oblique-slip movements differ. Then travel deeper underground to understand subduction zones, megathrust earthquakes, and the unresolved science behind deep-focus earthquakes. In this video, you’ll discover: • How earthquakes happen and what elastic rebound means • The main types of faults and how rocks move across them • Interplate vs. intraplate earthquakes • Shallow, intermediate, and deep earthquakes • The difference between an earthquake’s focus and epicentre • Volcanic earthquakes, earthquake swarms, and volcanic tremor • How wastewater injection and other human activities can trigger earthquakes • How collapse events and explosions differ from tectonic fault slip From the 1960 Chile megathrust earthquake to the 2016 Pawnee earthquake in Oklahoma, these examples reveal how different underground processes can produce shaking at the surface. Watch to the end to see how cause, depth, plate setting, and fault movement fit together—and why a simple list of earthquake types tells only part of the story. Which earthquake type surprised you most? Share your answer in the comments, and subscribe for more Earth science and geology explained clearly. #Earthquakes #Geology #EarthScience