LiveScience Topics: Earthquakes

Earthquakes are the result of plate tectonics, or shifting plates in the crust of Earth, and quakes occur when the frictional stress of gliding plate boundaries builds and causes failure at a fault line. In an earthquake, elastic strain energy is released and waves radiate, shaking the ground. Scientists can predict where major temblors might occur in a general sense, but research does not yet allow forecasts for specific locations or accurate predictions of timing. Major earthquakes, some generating tsunamis, have leveled entire cities and affected whole countries. Relatively minor earthquakes can also be induced, or caused by human activity, including extraction of minerals from Earth and the collapse of large buildings.

Explore Earthquakes

7.2-Magnitude Quake Rocks Japan

Crews search for missing after 7.2-magnitude quake hits northern Japan.
Cloaking Device Concept Moves Beyond Theory

Graeme Milton dreams up new materials, develops mathematical formulas to describe them and leaves it to others to construct and demonstrate their usefulness.
Secret of Old Faithful Revealed

Rainfall patterns can affect the timing of the famous Yellowstone geyser.

More Earthquakes News and Information

4.7 Quake Rocks Reno

Another earthquake struck the Reno area.
Strong Aftershock Reported in Illinois

One of strongest aftershocks recorded from Illinois temblor.
Earthquake Faults Talk, Both Shake

Link found between quakes along Cascadia and San Andreas Faults.
How Did the Hawaiian Islands Form?
Can Oil Extraction Cause Earthquakes?
Live Bacteria Could Reduce Earthquake Damage

Scientists hope to turn dangerous sandy soils into solid rock by injecting bacteria into the ground.
Source of Major Quakes Discovered Beneath U.S. Heartland

Deep slab of Earth has triggered huge events and will do so again.
Reason for Earthquake Season Revealed

Quakes in Himalayas triggers by changing water levels from monsoon rains.
What's the Most Earthquake-prone State in the U.S.?

You might guess California, and you'd be wrong.
L.A. in 1,000-Year Earthquake Lull

The Los Angeles Basin and the Mojave Desert might be seismically linked.
Mine Collapses Not Caused by Earthquakes, Seismologists Insist

Scientists find more evidence mine collapse not due to earthquake.
Peru Quake Aftershocks Could Last Months

An 8.0-magnitude earthquake that shook Peru's coast last night.
In Surprise, Major Earthquake Fault Slips Backward

A vast chunk of Earth sliding under Mexico reverses direction.
Supercomputer Makes Near-Instant Movies of California Quakes

Earthquake movies could be delivered to your inbox.
Home Appliance Provides Earthquake Warning

A new Japanese home appliance gives earthquake warnings.
Slow Slippage Could Predict Huge Earthquakes

Long-lasting, but imperceptible tremors are caused by the slow slipping of tectonic plates and could be a warning of future mega quakes, a new study finds.
Earthquake Deaths Down in 2006

Earthquakes killed 6,604 people worldwide in 2006, down significantly from the previous two years and illustrating the random, capricious nature of these deadly events.
Tsunamis: The Grave, Global and Unpredictable Threat

Residents of Japan have fled the coast twice in the past two months. Both times the tsunamis were minor. Why does one earthquake generate huge waves while another does not?
Earthquake Forecasts Possible with Seconds to Spare

Italian scientists say the effects of strong earthquakes can be predicted seconds before the destruction occurs.
Hawaii Quake Caused by Volcanic Stress

The Big Island is the youngest in a ring of volcanoes stretching some 3,500 miles across the Pacific Ocean. As new island volcanoes form and old ones are carried away, the process can sometimes release pent-up pressure in the form of quakes.
Hawaii Earthquake Damage Surveyed

A strong earthquake shook Hawaii early Sunday, jolting residents out of bed and causing a landslide that blocked a major highway.