EARTHSC 2GG3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Seismometer, North Anatolian Fault, Richter Magnitude Scale
19 Sep 2013
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Document Summary
There are sometimes foreshocks before the earthquake (ground shakes before actual earthquake) Most dangerous earthquakes usually occur without foreshocks. Sometimes the surface area around the fault rises before an earthquake. There is sometimes a rise in radioactivity in wells before an earthquake. Best system in the world is located in california. Only sometimes do early warning systems help. Short-term forecasts raise political, social and psychological issues. If people knows there is going to be an earthquake there will be hysterical public reaction (can have physical and economic damage) Even if scientists know when the earthquake is coming it is hard to tell people because of these consequences. Governments often do not disclose information to public because afraid of reaction. Paleoseismology: the study of prehistoric fault movements. Can sometimes help to predict future behavior. Use recurrence interval/return period to predict when earthquakes will come. Earthquakes are not always evenly spaced out so not always accurate.
