FAQ
Common Myths about Earthquakes
- Can you predict earthquakes?
- Can animals predict earthquakes?
- Can some people sense that an earthquake is about to happen? (earthquake sensitives)?
- Is there earthquake weather?
- Are there more earthquakes in the morning/in the evening/at a certain time of the month?
- Can the ground open up during an earthquake?
- Will California eventually fall off into the ocean?
- Do earthquakes cause volcanoes?
- Can you prevent large earthquakes by making lots of small ones, or by "lubricating" the fault with water or another material?
- Can the position of the moon or the planets affect seismicity?
- Why are we having so many earthquakes? Has earthquake activity been increasing? Does this mean a big one is going to hit? OR We haven't had any earthquakes in a long time; does this mean that the pressure is building up?
- What is the "Triangle of Life" and is it legitimate?
- Where can I buy a Richter scale?
Earthquakes, Faults, Plate Tectonics, Earth Structure
- Can we cause earthquakes? Is there any way to prevent earthquakes?
- What do we know about the interior of the Earth?
- Can earthquakes be predicted?
- What is plate tectonics?
- What is a fault and what are the different types?
- What is the relationship between faults and earthquakes? What happens to a fault when an earthquake occurs?
- How do we know a fault exists?
- Where can I go to see the/a fault?
- Where can I get seismic hazard maps?
- Where can I find information about faults in my area?
- How can I find out about earthquakes in my area?
- Where can I find information about volcanoes?
- How can I find out about tsunamis?
- What is an earthquake and what causes them to happen?
- At what depth do earthquakes occur?
- What is surface faulting or surface rupture in an earthquake?
- Foreshocks, aftershocks - what's the difference?
- Two earthquakes occurred on the same day. Are they related?
- Where can I get a fault map?
- Do earthquakes occur in Antarctica?
Current Earthquake Information
- Can I get on a list to receive an e-mail message when there is an earthquake?
- How can I report an earthquake experience or related observation?
- Where can I see current or past seismograms?
- Where can I buy a Richter scale?
- Why are there often different magnitudes reported for the same earthquake?
- What is moment magnitude?
- What are the earthquake magnitude classes?
- When was the first instrument that actually recorded an earthquake?
- What is a P wave? An S wave?
- What does an earthquake look like?
- What is intensity? What is the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale?
- What is the difference between intensity scales and magnitude scales?
- What is acceleration, velocity, and displacement?
- What is spectral acceleration?
- What are those beachball figures?
- How much energy is released in an earthquake?
- What are UTC and GMT (in reference to the time of an EQ)?
- What does it mean that the earthquake occurred at a depth of 0 km?
- How are earthquakes recorded? How are earthquakes measured? How is the magnitude of an earthquake determined?
- What are the different magnitude scales, and why are there so many?
- How do you give a Richter magnitude to earthquakes that occurred prior to the scale?
- What was the duration of the earthquake? Why don't you report the duration of each earthquake? How does the duration affect the magnitude?
- How do seismologists locate an earthquake?
Earthquake Effects & Experiences
- Where can I find photographs of earthquake damage?
- Why do earthquakes in other countries seem to cause more damage and casualties than earthquakes in the U.S.?
- How do you classify/measure the shaking that you feel during an earthquake? Sharp jolts versus rolling motion?
- What are isoseismal maps?
- What is liquefaction?
- At what magnitude does damage begin to occur in an earthquake?
- What are the effects of earthquakes?
- Where have tsunamis occurred historically?
- What are earthquake lights? Are they real?
- What does an earthquake feel like?
- What are those booms I sometimes hear before or during an earthquake?
- How can an earthquake effect groundwater or changes in wells?
- What is a seismometer? What are seismographs? How do they work?
- What are seismograms? How do you read them?
- How is the movement of the seismometer converted into a seismogram?
- How can I make my own seismometer?
Historic Earthquakes and Earthquake Statistics
- What is the biggest earthquake ever?
- What is the biggest earthquake in the United States?
- Which States in the United States have the most earthquakes?
- Which State has the most damaging earthquakes?
- Which States have the smallest number of earthquakes?
- How many earthquakes worldwide occur each day? Each year?
- Where can I find a list of the largest earthquakes near my town?
- Where can I find a list of the most destructive earthquakes in the world?
- Where can I find a list of the largest earthquakes in the United States?
- Where can I find other lists of earthquakes?
- Can I do an earthquake catalog search to get my own list of earthquakes?
- Where do earthquakes occur?
- I want to move to a place that doesn't have earthquakes. Where can I go?
- Which Country has the most earthquakes?
Probabilities, Seismic Hazard & Earthquake Engineering
- Are earthquake probabilities or forecasts the same as prediction?
- What is the probability that an earthquake will occur in the Bay Area?
- What is the probability that an earthquake will occur in the LA Area?
- What is seismic hazard and how is it determined?
- Where can I find seismic hazard maps?
- How do earthquakes affect buildings?
- How will my house hold up in an earthquake? Can the USGS send someone out to evaluate my property?
- How are engineers working to make roads and buildings safer?
- What are the Guidelines for evaluating and mitigating seismic hazards in California?
- What is the USGS doing to mitigate and respond to earthquake hazards?
- How do I decide whether or not to get earthquake insurance?
- Is it safe to go to X since they've been having a lot of earthquakes lately?
- What are the earthquake risks where I live?
- What is the probability that an earthquake is a foreshock to a larger earthquake?
Nuclear Explosions and Seismology
- What is the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)?
- What is the role of seismology in monitoring a CTBT?
- What are the differences between explosions and earthquakes?
- Can nuclear explosions cause earthquakes?
- Can we use alot of explosives to cause small earthquakes in order to prevent having large ones?
- During an EQ should you head for the doorway?
- What emergency supplies do I need?
- How can I plan ahead for an EQ?
- What should I do during an EQ?
- Things NOT to do during an EQ?
- What can I expect in my house when an EQ occurs? How do I identify it? What can be done?
- What do I do after an earthquake?
- What are the steps to EQ safety/awareness?
