Volcanoes and Earthquakes Vocabulary

crust – The top layer of Earth is called the crust.

plate – Earth’s crust is broken into large sections called plates. Plates move slowly but their movement can cause changes on Earth’s surface.

earthquake – As plates move, pressure can build where the rocks get stuck against each other. When the rocks break free, the sudden movement can cause the shaking of the ground that is called an earthquake.

fault – A crack in Earth’s crust is called a fault. Earthquakes happen along faults.

volcano – A volcano is a mountain made of melted rock that comes to Earth’s surface and hardens.