Usually, the rock is moving along large cracks in Earth's crust called faults. Most earthquakes happen at or near the boundaries between Earth's tectonic plates because that's where there is usually a large concentration of faults. ... Movement along those faults can cause earthquakes too. Also, Earthquakes happen when rock below the Earth's surface move. Causing the Earth's surface to crack the closer you are to the plate boundaries the more pressure you get do too more force which is an earthquake.