A quake is the result when the surface of a planet, moon or star begins to shake, usually as the consequence of a sudden release of energy transmitted as seismic waves, and potentially with great violence.
An earthquake is a phenomenon that results from the sudden release of stored energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves.
At the Earth's surface, earthquakes may manifest themselves by a shaking or displacement of the ground and sometimes cause tsunamis, which may lead to loss of life and destruction of property.
An earthquake is caused by tectonic plates (sections of the Earth's crust) getting stuck and putting a strain on the ground.
The pair of Magellan images shows a region in Aphrodite Terra, within a steeply sloping valley that is cut by many fractures (faults).
It is unclear how such a relatively modest flare could have liberated sufficient energy to generate such powerful seismic waves.
A starquake is an astrophysical phenomenon that occurs when the crust of a neutron star undergoes a sudden adjustment, analogous to an earthquake on Earth.
One is the huge stresses exerted on the surface of the neutron star produced by twists in the ultra-strong interior magnetic fields.
In 2016 it has been suggested that quakes might happen on Mercury due to the planet's contraction as the interior cools, impact vibrations or from heat or possibly magma rising from the core and mantle.