 Earthquakes can send skyscrapers toppling to the ground or tsunamis surging over the coastline. These movers and shakers are proof that we live on a dynamic planet that sometimes experiences growing pains on a colossal scale.
Select from the topics below to find out more about the forces at work beneath your feet and learn how people have adapted to this unsettling phenomenon over time and around the world:
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The Great San Francisco Quake
Find out more about the event that launched the serious study of earthquakes.
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Understanding Earthquakes
Investigate the causes of quakes and see what creates the seismic reactions that send buildings tumbling.
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Predicting Earthquakes?
Discover how scientists monitor earthquakes and why predicting quakes is so tricky.
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Measuring Earthquakes
Take a look at high-tech tools and techniques used to measure the magnitude of quakes and to capture seismic sounds.
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Locating Earthquakes
Learn how scientists track earthquakes globally and check out our real-time quake monitor.
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The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami
Find out more about the quake that triggered a tsunami and rocked the world.
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Earthquakes and Tsunamis
Try your hand at launching your own tsunami and watch the wave action of the 2004 tsunami as it travels around the globe.
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Surviving Tsunamis
Meet the people of Papua New Guinea, who’ve developed unique methods of surviving in a seismically active area.
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The New Madrid Intraplate Quake
Find out more about the mysterious intraplate quake that shook the Midwest in the 19th century.
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Building for Earthquakes
Learn how to construct a building that can survive the shaking of a quake. |
