What are submarine earthquakes?

Submarine earthquakes are big shakes that happen under the ocean.

Imagine you're playing with blocks, and one side of your tower suddenly slides down, that’s like what happens when earthquakes occur under the sea. The Earth’s crust is made of big pieces called tectonic plates, and sometimes these plates push or pull each other. When they move quickly, it makes a shake, just like when you tip over your blocks.

Under the ocean, there are special places where tectonic plates meet, kind of like a slide between two kids at recess. When one plate moves suddenly beneath another, it can cause a submarine earthquake. This shake can be so strong that it even makes waves in the water above, sometimes creating giant waves called tsunamis.

Think of it as a big splash in a bathtub, if you jump in suddenly, the water goes everywhere! A submarine earthquake is like that big splash under the ocean, and sometimes it sends waves all the way to shore.