Earthquakes are natural phenomena caused by the sudden release of energy in the Earth’s crust that creates seismic waves. This energy release typically occurs along geological faults, volcanic activity, or by man-made explosions. The point within the Earth where the earthquake starts is called the hypocenter, and the point directly above it on the surface is the epicenter. Earthquakes can cause significant ground shaking, leading to destruction of structures, changes in the landscape, and even tsunamis when occurring under the ocean. They are measured using the Richter scale or the more detailed Moment Magnitude Scale, which both assess the size and energy released by the quake.
New research shows earthquakes significantly contributed to Pompeii’s devastation during Vesuvius’s 79CE eruption. Nearly 2,000 years ago, Pliny the Younger wrote letters describing a shaking…
A new computational technique developed enables the use of surface mapping technologies like GPS to analyze subsurface geological structures. This method, termed deformation imaging, offers…
The beginning of a long, disruptive volcanic episode near Iceland’s capital. Iceland faces a prolonged volcanic threat on the Reykjanes Peninsula, impacting key infrastructure and…
A heavily populated area may experience compounding effects of shaking. A recent study published in Nature Communications reveals that a massive earthquake 2,500 years ago…
Researchers predict recurring volcanic eruptions in Iceland due to the interconnected magma system beneath the Reykjanes Peninsula. Given the volcanic activity in Iceland over the…
Researchers have developed a fiber optic gyroscope prototype to monitor ground rotations during earthquakes in Campi Flegrei, Naples. This advanced sensor system, capturing rotational and…
MIT researchers have linked heavy snowfall and rain to earthquake swarms in northern Japan, suggesting that extreme weather events can trigger seismic activity by altering…
Research identifies clear electromagnetic anomalies from a variety of satellite data, potentially aiding the development of early warning systems for earthquakes. According to a new study…
Brown University researchers found that fault geometry, including misalignments and complex structures within fault zones, plays a crucial role in determining earthquake likelihood and strength….
A new study uncovered evidence that splay fault uplift in the Alaskan-Aleutian subduction zone generated additional tsunami activity in half of the last eight earthquakes….
A new technique allows for the visualization of internal forces within granular materials in three-dimensional detail, overcoming previous challenges in observing their behavior. Granular materials,…
The first high-precision image of a seismic fault zone transforms our knowledge of earthquakes. The idea that earthquakes release stress by a single strong quake…
Thanks to a significant scientific breakthrough in detection methods, conducting secret underground nuclear tests could become obsolete. A team of Earth scientists and statisticians say…
Scientists from Penn State and Brown University suggest that rocks from ancient subduction zones, areas where tectonic plates collide and are forced beneath one another,…
Magnetic evidence indicates that the dangerous Seattle fault zone may have originated from the continent’s edge splitting in half over 50 million years ago, offering…
On September 4, 2022, Hayato Ueda, a geologist from Niigata University, embarked on a submarine journey alongside pilot Chris May into the heart of the…
Some parts of the peninsula rose up to 4 meters (13 feet), shifting the position of coastlines and leaving some ports dry. The first day…
The research-based map is the first to display an updated, comprehensive National Seismic Hazard Model for all 50 states. Nearly 75 percent of the U.S….