A Guide to Earthquakes

Earthquake-warning systems save lives by detecting the first signs of shaking.

Latest big tremor could be linked to major earthquake earlier this month

Thursday night's quake, near an undersea crust collision zone, was the strongest to hit Mexico in a century

The ability to forecast temblors would be a tectonic shift in seismology. But is it a pipe dream? A seismologist is conducting machine-learning experiments to find out

If so, California’s “natural” quakes may be less frequent than thought

Scientists are increasingly confident about the link between earthquakes and oil and gas production, yet regulators are slow to react

Shaking struck near Kathmandu, where buildings collapsed and thousands are feared dead

Thanks to their GPS systems, smartphones in an array could pick up movements indicating the onset of an earthquake and provide extra seconds of early warning. Cynthia Graber reports  

 

Researchers say chemical changes in groundwater may someday be used to predict quakes four to six months in advance. Christopher Intagliata reports

Building on light-cloaking work, physicists took a small step toward the goal of shielding cities from earthquakes by deflecting incoming energy. David Biello reports

 

Geophysicist Enzo Boschi slams the poor communication that could put him behind bars for six years

Congress is grappling with the benefits and risks of using Facebook, Twitter and other social media during emergencies

A team of geologists from the U.S., Mexico and China are using light detection and ranging (LiDAR) laser altimetry to study how an earthquake can change a landscape.

Cell coverage can be spotty immediately following events like this week's earthquake, rendering many handsets useless for contacting family and friends. New technologies may provide a solution

As Japan suffered the worst earthquake in the country's recorded history, tsunami waves fanned out across the Pacific Ocean at the speed of a jetliner

Christchurch copes with a tragedy it did not see coming

An earthquake in Indonesia can mean future tremors in California. David Biello reports

David Oglesby, a geophysicist at the University of California, Riverside, shakes out a response.

By analyzing earthquakes when and where they strike, a computerized system could save lives

An earthquake that sustains high speeds on a straightaway may impart extra damage