Ground Shaking

The motion that most people associate with earthquakes – the shaking of the earth – is usually what causes the vast majority of the destruction, injury, and death in an earthquake. When the earth moves, buildings are pulled along with it, which causes them to sway. The taller a building, the more it will tend to sway in an earthquake. Think of what happens when you slide a plate of jello. If you move it slowly, nothing perceptible will happen; however if you jerk it quickly, it will vibrate.