Category: Earthquakes

Researchers Ross Stein and Peter Bird have proposed a hypothesis that many major continental transform earthquakes begin on branch faults, which they describe as “on-ramps” that lead to ruptures on larger, more mature faults. This theory, if validated, could have significant implications for earthquake monitoring and preparedness, potentially altering how and where seismic networks are …

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In September 2023, a globally detected seismic signal sparked curiosity among scientists when it persisted for up to nine days. This signal, unlike typical earthquake waves, was traced back to a massive rockslide in Greenland’s Dickson Fjord. A multinational team of researchers, including those from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), set out to uncover …

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A groundbreaking study by Társilo Girona, a research assistant professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Geophysical Institute, suggests that advance notice of major earthquakes could be possible by detecting precursory seismicity—low-level tectonic activity occurring days to months before significant quakes. This study, published in Nature Communications and co-authored by geologist Kyriaki Drymoni of …

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Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have made significant strides in the field of AI earthquake prediction, potentially revolutionizing how we approach the mitigation of earthquake-related risks. The team developed an AI algorithm capable of predicting 70% of earthquakes a week before they occurred during a seven-month trial conducted in China. This trial …

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Recent seismic activity off the coast of British Columbia has renewed concerns about the potential for a significant megathrust earthquake, often referred to as “The Big One,” which could occur along the Cascadia subduction zone. This tectonic boundary spans approximately 1,000 kilometers from Northern California to Vancouver Island, where the Juan de Fuca plate subducts …

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Intraplate earthquakes are seismic events that occur within the stable interiors of tectonic plates, far from the active boundaries where most earthquakes originate. Prof Éric Calais and Jean François Ritz highlight the unpredictable nature of these quakes, which can strike unexpectedly in geologically quiet regions.

A groundbreaking study has brought to light a remarkable geological phenomenon: certain areas in the United States are still experiencing aftershocks from earthquakes that occurred in the 1800s.

Seismic activity is typically associated with tectonic plate movements and volcanic eruptions, but it can also have unconventional triggers, including floods, excited crowds, and glaciers.

Seismologists are making significant progress in using machine learning to enhance earthquake forecasts, with three new studies demonstrating the effectiveness of deep-learning models in comparison to conventional approaches.