Earth
How Earthquakes Are Measured: Magnitude vs Intensity
Why the Richter scale was retired, what a jump from magnitude 6 to 7 really means, and how your own report of shaking ends up on a USGS map.
Tag: earthquakes
Earth
How Tsunamis Form and Why They Are Not Ordinary Waves
A tsunami starts when the seafloor or a mountainside moves water from the bottom up. Here is how that becomes a fast, ocean-crossing wave, what the warning signs are and what NOAA's alerts mean.
Nature & Animals
Can Animals Sense Earthquakes Before They Happen? The Evidence
Stories of restless dogs and fleeing snakes before earthquakes go back thousands of years. Here is what tagged farm animals, seismology and the USGS actually say.
Earth
Can Earthquakes Be Predicted? What Scientists Can and Cannot Do
Earthquake prediction is still out of reach, but probability maps, aftershock forecasts and the ShakeAlert system already save time and lives. Here is how each works and which popular signs are myths.