Rumbling beneath Earth's surface, thousands of earthquakes occur every day, most of them too weak to be felt. But sometimes shockwaves from these sudden breaks or shifts in the plates can destroy entire cities and kill hundreds of thousands of people.

Explore the science behind earthquakes and then make your own quake with our interactive feature.

• View case studies of some of the world's most remarkable earthquakes.
• See a map of Earth's tectonic plates and where earthquakes have happened throughout history.
• Learn what causes earthquakes, where they occur, and how they are measured.
• Set off a virtual quake and find out how to locate its epicenter.

Forces of Nature, a new film from National Geographic and Graphic Films, brings the awesome spectacle of earthquakes, volcanoes, and tornadoes to the giant screen. The film, ten years in the making, was made possible by Amica Insurance and was funded in part by the National Science Foundation.