This is called a fault. But the metal case is connected to an electrical path consisting of the ground wire in the power cord plugged into the wall socket, as well as the wire from the wall ...

the fault jolted, creating a magnitude 7.9 earthquake that knocked houseboats off their moorings more than 1,500 miles (2,414 kilometers) away in Seattle, according to an article in NASA's Earth ...

This fault is likely a "scar" in Earth's crust, formed when Zealandia broke off from Antarctica and Australia about 150 million years ago becoming its own landmass. During this process ...