Which of the following is a common cause of structural collapses?

Earthquakes are a primary cause of structural collapses due to the intense ground shaking and seismic forces they generate. These forces can exceed the strength of building materials and construction practices, leading to failure, especially in structures that are not designed to withstand seismic activity. During an earthquake, the ground movement can cause shifts in the foundation and can induce shear and tensile stresses that the structure cannot handle, resulting in partial or total collapse.

While flooding, heavy winds, and snow accumulation can also lead to structural failures, they tend not to be as immediate or catastrophic as the forces generated by an earthquake. Flooding can undermine foundations, heavy winds can exert lateral forces, and snow accumulation can add weight, but these factors usually affect structures over a longer period or in specific contexts rather than causing sudden, destructive failures like earthquakes can.