They can occur at any time of the day or night and at any time of the year. They are caused by stress that builds up over time as blocks of crust attempt to move but are held in place by friction along a fault.n the natural environment, such hazards include the following: 1  Landslides or avalanches. 2  Surface faulting, in which the surface of the ground along one side of a fault is displaced horizontally or vertically in relation to the ground on the other side.