Earthquakes

Of all the ways the planet makes us feel unwanted, earthquakes are some of the most destructive. Across the globe precautions are being made in earthquake prone areas, in particular: earthquake-proof buildings. Though devastating, earthquakes can be viewed as the Earth crust's way of stretching, as tension is built up between tectonic plate faults and then suddenly released as the plates move. The study of such seismic activity is known as seismology, and increases our ability to predict and prepare for earthquakes.

Top 10 biggest earthquakes ever recorded

Earthquakes are one of the most deadly natural disasters. Here are the worst humans have witnessed so far.
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These search and rescue rats can find earthquake victims amongst the rubble

A team of scientists based in Tanzania have been training rats to solve all sorts of problems, including finding people trapped in their homes after a natural disaster.
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How do tsunamis form?

Here’s how one of Earth’s most destructive forces come to be, in five steps.
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What lies at the centre and how do we know?

We live on the surface of a dense, rocky ball, but science has allowed us to peer deep within its core.
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Global quiet as human-generated noise drops by 50 per cent under lockdown

This reduction in global seismic noise meant geoscientists spotted natural events, such as small earthquakes, that may have otherwise remained undetected.
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The Danish scientist who discovered Earth has a solid inner core

Between 1929 and 1939, seismologist Inge Lehmann compared various data sets from earthquakes to conclusively prove what was at the Earth's core.
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UK seismic noise 'down by 20 to 50 per cent' during lockdown

Noise levels across the country caused by human activity have dropped in the last five weeks since lockdown began in mid-March.
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Made in (ancient) China: amazing inventions from the Far East

Far from plastic tat, these marvellous devices invented in ancient China show how the country has a rich history of technological progress.
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Why does the UK get earthquakes when it's a long way from a fault line?

Yorkshire isn’t exactly the first place that comes to mind when we think of tremors rattling the Richter scale…
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How to stop an earthquake

When tectonic plates collide or rub against each other, earthquakes send shockwaves through the ground, damaging anything standing in their way – so what can be done to halt them in their tracks?
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Could melting icecaps cause earthquakes?

The Day After Tomorrow-esque natural disasters may be around the corner as global warming melts Antarctica.
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The thought experiment: What would happen if the supervolcano under Yellowstone erupted?

Yellowstone National Park (USA) is located on top of an active super volcano that last erupted around 640,000 years ago.
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What is a magnitude 10 earthquake like?

Otherwise known as quakes or tremors, it is estimated that Earth is subjected to around 500,000 earthquakes each year.
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Flat plates linked to mega earthquakes

Curvature of the Earth’s tectonic plates has significant impact on the possibility of a quake reaching magnitude 8.5 and above.
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Can animals help us predict earthquakes?

n the days leading up to an earthquake, snakes flee their dens and cows stop producing milk. Yet our best technology only gives us a few minutes’ warning. What do the animals know that we don’t?
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Can animals sense an impending earthquake?

There may be subtle changes prior to an earthquake that animals are able to detect.
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What'll be the next big natural disaster?

Bill McGuire predicts the world's biggest natural disasters in waiting...
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Disasters: is the UK immune?

Tornadoes, earthquakes and tsunamis - with a spate of disasters occurring worldwide this year, this month's issue of Focus magazine looks at the science of predicting the next disaster. But it would seem that the UK has been left out of this global trend. Why is the UK seemingly so immune to these devastating events?
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How are the seismometers that measure earthquakes calibrated?

These devices are an important part of recording and understanding potentially destructive seismic activity, carefully designed to detect the smallest tremors.
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