Earthquakes
Some of the devastation caused by the TÅhoku Earthquake in Japan in 2011. © Mitsutoshi Yoshimine
By understanding how and where they happen, science can help us prepare for future earthquakes and limit the damage they cause.
Earthquakes can happen without warning, causing death and destruction on a massive scale.
When they strike we feel a sudden, violent shaking of the ground, but they are caused by the slow movement of Earth's tectonic plates. As these plates move, pressure builds until it finally gives way.
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What causes an earthquake?
What happens below the surface to produce such destructive forces.
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Types of fault
Different types of faults can be found at plate boundaries as the plates crack and buckle under enormous pressures.
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Locating earthquakes
How seismologists use seismic waves to locate earthquakes.