MadSci Network: Earth Sciences
Query:

Re: Are Earthquakes Really on the Increase?

Date: Mon Jun 15 06:18:13 1998
Posted By: Eder Molina, Researcher PhD, Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics - USP
Area of science: Earth Sciences
ID: 896111107.Es
Message:

Earthquakes are generated in response to the state of stress
the rocks are submited to. They are usual in special regions,
that we call plate boundaries, and not so usual in other
places, although they can occur in any place given the
appropriate conditions.

There is no evidence that the number of earthquakes is increasing.
What we can notice is that the instruments that can detect earthquakes
are now more disseminated in the planet, and great amount of information
about that is becoming available, what can cause some confusion about
the number of earthquakes.

As the population grows, there are much more people living in certain
regions, and some regions that had little people nowadays are becoming
populated, so, an earthquake can cause many damages and death in regions
where in the past we had no sensible seismological activity (as
noted by people, at least).

In fact, there are evidences that, since the early 1900, the number
of earthquakes are globally DECREASING, but very slowly, and we don't
have still a statistical study that can prove that.

Any more info you need to your study, please feel free to
contact us.

Eder C. Molina
Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics
University of Sao Paulo
BRAZIL
eder@iag.usp.br
http://www.iag.usp.br/


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