Final answer:
Faults are planar features on which earthquakes occur due to the stress buildup from the movement of tectonic plates, releasing energy along fractures or fault zones. These seismic activities are intimately connected to the Theory of Plate Tectonics and can happen at or away from plate boundaries.
Step-by-step explanation:
Faults are planar features on which earthquakes occur. This is because the motion along fault zones does not happen smoothly. The creeping motion of tectonic plates against each other builds up stress in the Earth's crust. This stress is released in the form of sudden, violent slippages along fault lines, which we experience as earthquakes.
Earthquakes are closely related to the Theory of Plate Tectonics, which describes the movement of the Earth's lithospheric plates. There are several types of plate boundaries: divergent, where plates pull apart; convergent, where one plate burrows under another; and transform, where plates slide past each other. These interactions cause earthquakes and other geological phenomena.