That would be a strong punch but of small size compared to the area that "quakes" in the case of a side-slip of tectonic plates. The plates rub against each other along miles of edge all the time, very slowly. The quake happens when they "stick" against each other on the edge, build up strain, and suddenly release like a spring.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/earthquakes-in-turkey-and-syria-a-guide-in-maps-and-graphics-11675710154
This story has a little schematic at the bottom. It slipped 18 km. down. An external force like a rod or nuke would not go deep enough or exert a force long enough, to overcome the pressure from the two land masses on either side. It was their own mass that finally overcame friction.
That would be a strong punch but of small size compared to the area that "quakes" in the case of a side-slip of tectonic plates. The plates rub against each other along miles of edge all the time, very slowly. The quake happens when they "stick" against each other on the edge, build up strain, and suddenly release like a spring. https://www.wsj.com/articles/earthquakes-in-turkey-and-syria-a-guide-in-maps-and-graphics-11675710154
This story has a little schematic at the bottom. It slipped 18 km. down. An external force like a rod or nuke would not go deep enough or exert a force long enough, to overcome the pressure from the two land masses on either side. It was their own mass that finally overcame friction.