Answer: The correct answer is plate tectonics.
Explanation: 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.
