why is an earthquake accompanied with noise?

Answer 1

because vibration causes noises and in an earthquake, there is a lot of vibraion

Answer 2

Jacob is correct. In moderate earthquakes here in California, what I mainly hear is objects falling, pool water sloshing, furniture moving and the house joints creaking. However, weak earthquakes cannot be heard.

We had a magnitude 5.1 earthquake here in southern CA two days ago centered about 150 miles from my house. I could feel it but not hear it.

Answer 3

When I lived in southern California and there was an earthquake that occurred nearby, sometimes I heard a loud crack followed by the shaking and sometimes there was no initial sound but there was a drawn-out sound (like a train engine) that faded away as the shaking stopped. All that happens in a matter of seconds, usually. And it all depends on where you are in relation to the center of the earthquake, which directions the P waves and S waves are going, etc.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learning/listen/index.php

Answer 4

I highly recommend you listen to the sounds on this reference provided by Writeacher:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learning/listen/allsounds.php

I have heard these kinds of "crack" and "rumble" sounds on stronger earthquakes in the past. The crack is very distinct, but the rumble sound of the earth can be drowned out by the sounds of falling objects and shaking structures.

Answer 5

I read that it's the plates moving against each other that makes those "rumbling" sounds. I lived through a 6.+ earthquake and it sounded like hundreds of trains rolling by under the house.
The earth cracking (splitting apart) also makes noises.