This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Hafiz Mubashir Hussain Lahori's book Signs of the Day of Judgment in the Light of Authentic Hadiths.
Sign of the Day of Judgment: Earthquakes will occur frequently
عن أبى هريرة رضى الله عنه قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : لا تقوم الساعة حتى يقبض العلم ويتقارب الزمان وتكثر الزلازل
It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: The Day of Judgment will not be established until knowledge is taken away, the time becomes near, and earthquakes become frequent.
Reference: Bukhari: Book of Istisqa: Chapter on what is said about earthquakes and signs (1036) Muslim (2672) Ahmad (702/2) (633/3)
عن سلمة بن نفيل رضي الله عنها عن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم قال : بين يدي الساعة موتان شديد وبصده سنوات الزلازل
It is narrated from Hazrat Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Before the Day of Judgment, a severe plague of death will spread, then years of earthquakes will come.
Reference: (Ahmad (104/11) Majma' al-Zawa'id (306/7)
Hazrat Abdullah bin Hawalah (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) placed his blessed hand on my head and said: O Abdullah! When you see the Caliphate descending upon the Holy Land, then (remember) after that earthquakes, calamities, pains, and great events will occur, and on that day the Day of Judgment will be so near to people that even my hand will not be as close to your head.
Reference: Ahmad (288/5 - 262) Hakim (471/4) Sahih al-Jami' al-Saghir (263/6) Abu Dawood: 2535
Hazrat Ubada (may Allah be pleased with him) says: A man asked the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), O Messenger of Allah! How long will your Ummah live in ease (comfort)?
He asked three times but the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not answer (due to being occupied), so he left. The Prophet (peace be upon him) called him back and said: You have asked a question that no one from my Ummah has asked. Their period of ease and comfort will be 100 years. The questioner said: O Messenger of Allah! Will there be any sign or indication of the end of this ease? He said: Yes! The sinking of the earth, the occurrence of earthquakes, and the sending of devils to people (to assist them).
Benefits:
(1) The occurrence of earthquakes is a sign of the Day of Judgment.
(2) This mentioned sign of the Day of Judgment has been manifesting for a long time.
(3) Some time ago, an endless series of earthquakes began, spreading from India and Sindh to America, in which thousands of people lost their lives, hundreds of areas and settlements were destroyed, and millions and billions worth of damage occurred.
Reference: Ahmad (307/5) Hakim (365/4) Majma' al-Zawa'id (19/8)
(4) Similarly, some time ago, Turkey also faced several consecutive earthquakes, in which towering buildings were reduced to rubble and thousands of people were crushed under the debris.
(5) We have witnessed some signs of earthquakes in the recent past, but it is not unlikely that as the Day of Judgment approaches, this series will increase and eventually there will be the final earthquake of the Day of Judgment. Allah Almighty says:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ زَلْزَلَةَ السَّاعَةِ شَيْءٌ عَظِيمٌ
"O people! Fear your Lord; indeed, the convulsion of the [final] Hour is a terrible thing."
Reference: Al-Hajj: 1
(6) An earthquake is the shaking and specific movement of the earth, and nothing can move except by the permission of Allah, whether it is a leaf of a tree or an earthquake of the earth. The assumption that the earth rests on the horn of a bull or the like is false and requires evidence.
