A focal mechanism can tell you whether an
individual earthquake is a thrust event(Compressional), a normal event(extensional), or strike-slip.
Compressional forces, isostatic uplift
and intrusion of igneous matter forces surface rock upward, creating a landform higher than the surrounding features.
This force, plus the rules of quantum mechanics, lock the atoms into the arrangements that we humans are pleased to call"solid",
mostly because they can resist any Compressional force that our technology can bring to bear.