Stress between tectonic plates build up over time as they slide against each other, and they release over time, most of the time slowly slipping by, but sometim

Stress between tectonic plates build up over time as they slide against each other, and they release over time, most of the time slowly slipping by, but sometimes they can jerk and release fast, causing an earthquake. This is based off my memory of a class from years ago, so I am likely oversimplifying it.