Earthquake news, features and articles
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![Structure of the Earth's core against a space background.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4iAzUd8qwZyMvAKV3bXDLW-320-80.jpg)
450-mile-wide solid metal ball forms Earth's innermost core, earthquake waves reveal
By JoAnna Wendel published
Scientists calculated the diameter of Earth's innermost core using earthquake waves that bounced through the planet 'like ping-pong balls.'
![Smoke billows from a fire at the port as people inspect collapsed buildings in Iskenderun, Turkey.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9ASpe9vt33TEUzzErDzRb4-320-80.jpg)
Why was the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria so deadly?
By Ben Turner published
The Feb. 6 earthquake in Turkey and Syria was so deadly because the region sits on a boundary between multiple tectonic plates, while soil and building conditions make strong earthquakes more likely to cause damage.
![Khokana village in Kathmandu, Nepal, after a damaging earthquake. Here we see a narrow street filled with rubble and lined with damaged buildings and electrical wires.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VUi48jJogxFHiiEyUZAm4U-320-80.jpg)
How big is the largest possible earthquake?
By Stephanie Pappas published
The amount of energy released in an earthquake is controlled by how much of the crust breaks. The good news is, we're not likely to see a magnitude 10.
![The Great East Japan Earthquake in Iwate. Here we see the remains of a house amongst a lot of rubble after an earthquake.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WPkQmXVxW9DMXvDgf7S7mh-320-80.jpg)
The 20 largest recorded earthquakes in history
By Tia Ghose published
A handful of regions around the world regularly unleash terrifyingly large earthquakes. Here are the 20 largest earthquakes on record.
![an asteroid slams into Earth](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/V5JzT3FCbpwGTaNDq3w3o3-320-80.jpg)
Dino-killing asteroid triggered 'mega-earthquake' that rocked the planet for months
By Stephanie Pappas published
The dinosaur-killing Chicxulub impact triggered a months-long mega-earthquake that left its mark in the rock.
![The earthquake sent waves as high as 66 feet 5000 miles across the Pacific Ocean.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zj3uA8Wme64PN97iYrfRJG-320-80.jpg)
Scientists find evidence for biggest earthquake in human history
By Ben Turner last updated
The gigantic megaquake is matched only by the 1960 Valdivia earthquake in the same region.
![chile subduction](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ez28DdggnQ3qXx4EgjbNTL-320-80.jpg)
Seismic Speed Bumps Found in Chile's Earthquake Zone
By Becky Oskin last updated
Two huge blobs of dense rock jammed deep beneath Chile's coastline acted like seismic speed bumps during the magnitude-8.8 Maule earthquake in 2010, according to a new study.
![seismic data overlain over map of afghanistan showing epicenter and shock waves of recent earthquake](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/GkGjLHfMrKcsMW2XUJ7Ab-320-80.jpg)
Magnitude 5.9 earthquake hits Afghanistan, killing at least 1,000
By Nicoletta Lanese published
The quake occurred near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
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