logo
welcome
Live Science

Live Science

Scientists find hidden mechanism that could explain how earthquakes 'ignite'

Live Science
Summary
Nutrition label

74% Informative

A period of slow, creeping movement before a crack can transition rapidly to an earthquake, a new study says.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Jay Fineberg and his colleagues reproduce earthquake-like fractures in the lab.

The findings show how a slow creep before the crack transforms into a sudden rupture.

Theoretically, if one could predict a break before a quake, it might be possible to measure aseismic movement.

Stephanie Pappas is a contributing writer for Live Science , covering topics ranging from geoscience to archaeology to the human brain and behavior. She was previously a senior writer for Live Science but is now a freelancer based in Denver , Colorado , and regularly contributes to Scientific American and The Monitor , the monthly magazine of the American Psychological Association . Stephanie received a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of South Carolina and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California , Santa Cruz ..