Earth tremors vs earthquakes: What is the difference? What causes them?

Aftershocks had been reported in several areas, including Ruaka, Lower Kabete, and Kangemi, as of the time of publication.

According to Volcano Discovery, a website that provides information on all things lithosphere-related, there are no details on the magnitude or depth of the possible quake, which was first reported at 8:31 p.m.

But what is an earthquake, and how does it differ from an earth tremor?

Earthquakes and tremors are natural geological phenomena that cause the Earth's surface to shake or move. However, the two differ in terms of intensity, magnitude, and potential damage.

An earthquake is a violent shaking of the ground that usually causes widespread devastation as a result of movements in the earth's crust or volcanic activity.

An Earth tremor is a small, brief movement of the Earth's surface caused by the same forces that cause earthquakes.

Earthquakes are more intense and cause larger ground motions than tremors, which are typically smaller and less intense.

Magnitude: Earthquakes have a higher magnitude on the Richter or moment magnitude scale and can be minor to catastrophic in intensity. Tremors, on the other hand, are generally milder and have a lower magnitude than earthquakes.

Damage: Earthquakes can cause significant damage to property and lives, whereas tremors rarely do.

When a tremor exceeds five on the moment magnitude scale (a scale of 0 to 10), it is classified as an earthquake. 

Earthquakes are caused when rocks break under stress against an underground surface known as a fault plane. 

Tremors, on the other hand, are relatively mild and can be felt by people in the affected area, causing minor concerns such as windows rattling, objects swaying, or a subtle sensation of ground movement. They last approximately 10 seconds.

Earthquakes are more intense, have larger ground motions, are of higher magnitude, can cause significant damage, and occur less frequently, with varying time intervals between events, whereas tremors are less intense, of lower magnitude, generally do not cause significant damage, and occur more frequently, with multiple events occurring within a short period of time. 

 According to Volcanic Discovery, since 2022, Kenya has experienced three earthquakes with magnitudes greater than 4 and up to 5.0.