Chapter 6 of 10All chapters
Chapter 6 of 10
Earthquakes
Stored stress released suddenly.
What happens
Plates lock at their edges, stress builds for decades, then slips in seconds. The energy radiates as waves that shake the surface.
- Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step is about 32 times the energy.
- Most deaths come from collapsing buildings rather than the ground itself.
Prediction
Where earthquakes will happen is well understood; when is not, and no reliable short-term prediction method exists. Building codes save more lives than forecasting ever has.