This VDO clip talks about earthquakes. An earthquake is a vibration that travels through the Earth's crust. The lithosphere is broken up into plates .Quakes can be caused by the plates to move in different , and a variety of things, including meteor impacts and volcanic eruptions. But most naturally occurring earthquakes are caused by movement of the Earth's surface. Where plates collide, rock layers are forced upwards creating mountains. Lava emerges from the mantle and cools to form new section of crust when plates diverge between earth's surface layers.