Can earthquake really be predicted? If yes, then how? what are the different parameters to be considered?
88180
Yes, to a degree. Earthquakes can be predicted using past locations, active faults, geological recurrence times, and fault slip data rates from plate tectonic and satellite data. This level of prediction is time-independent, so it will only give a likelihood of an earthquake's magnitude with path and locational effects. This is useful for building design, land use planning, and estimating earthquake insurance, but it doesn't predict when it will happen. \n\nMore and more data is being collected on past earthquake movement using trenches dug into faults and measuring the traces of paleomovements. Geodetic instruments are now collecting real-time data on the relative movement of various parts of the continent using satellite measurements. As more data is collected it may become easier to add a time-dependent portion to a prediction. The USGS is posting probabilities like this for some faults, but are often leaving the time period open for 50 or more years. \n\nResearch in the US has mostly focused on better understanding earthquakes, especially after an unsuccessful attempt to monitor precursors and predict an earthquake near Parkfield, California. In Japan there has been a growing realization that earthquake prediction may not be realistic in the aftermath of Kobe. In China approximately 30 false alarms have caused major problems and the government is discouraging predictions. \n\nThere are a number of creative methods that have been proposed such as tidal forces, animal behavior, and alignment of planets, but none of these has any statistically proven validity. In fact, many of these predictions are made so broadly that the normal occurrence of earthquakes tends to make them look successful. \n\nYou might want to read this article in Nature:\nhttp://www.nature.com/nature/debates/earthquake/index.html\nand here is a description of the Parkfield effort:\nhttp://www.geophys.washington.edu/SEIS/PNSN/INFO_GENERAL/eq_prediction.html
1103937
The bible is open to interpretations.  Jesus stated that we will not be given the knowledge to predict these coming events.  A massive earthquake is imminent especially in the "ring of fire" as we have seen lately with the Indonesian tsunami, the recent earthquake in Indonesia's java province, and the small earthquake in the Pacific Northwest.  As far an Asteriod hitting us, God only knows.  If you have Jesus in your life, you don't have to worry about all this stuff.
948942
Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake#Size_and_frequency_of_occurrence for your answer.\n\nGood Luck!!!
746545
There are earthquakes all the time.  Do you mean a destructive one?  That would be the quake that interrupted a game during the 1989 World Series when the Giants were playing at home.  Do you mean one some people just barely felt or noticed?  Earlier this month.  Do you mean one detected only by seismograph?  Probably within the last fifteen minutes.\nThe San Andreas fault runs right through San Francisco Bay, and there are plenty of other active faults in the area.
225628
yes you can detect an earthquake. there are all kinds of instruments to help you.
303181
Seismic waves from earthquakes behave differently in different mediums.  Using data from seismometers (devices that measure earthquake energy) around the world, you can study the seismic waves generated from major earthquakes.  The types of waves, and their travel times tell geophysicists a lot of information about the interior of the earth.  The most recent development in this science is called Mantle Tomography - they can even resolve the presence of cold subducting plates!
989327
Naturally occurring earthquakes\n\nMost naturally occurring earthquakes are related to the tectonic nature of the Earth. Such earthquakes are called tectonic earthquakes. The Earth's lithosphere is a patch work of plates (see plate tectonics) in slow but constant motion caused by the heat in the Earth's mantle and core. Plate boundaries glide past each other, creating frictional stress. When the frictional stress exceeds a critical value, called local strength, a sudden failure occurs. The boundary of tectonic plates along which failure occurs is called the fault plane. When the failure at the fault plane results in a violent displacement of the Earth's crust, the elastic strain energy is released and elastic waves are radiated, thus causing an earthquake. It is estimated that only 10 percent or less of an earthquake's total energy is ultimately radiated as seismic energy, while most of the earthquake's energy is used to power the earthquake fracture growth and is eventually converted into heat. Therefore, earthquakes lower the Earth's available potential energy and thermal energy, though these losses are negligible. To describe the physical process of occurrence of an earthquake, seismologists use the Elastic-rebound theory.\n\nThe majority of tectonic earthquakes originate at depths not exceeding a few tens of kilometers. Earthquakes occurring at boundaries of tectonic plates are called interplate earthquakes, while the less frequent events that occur in the interior of the lithospheric plates are called intraplate earthquakes.\n\nWhere the crust is thicker and colder, earthquakes occur at greater depths of hundreds of kilometers along subduction zones where plates descend into the Earth's mantle. These types of earthquakes are called deep focus earthquakes. They are possibly generated when subducted lithospheric material catastrophically undergoes a phase transition (e.g., olivine to spinel), releasing stored energy—such as elastic strain, chemical energy or gravitational energy—that cannot be supported at the pressures and temperatures present at such depths.\n\nEarthquakes may also occur in volcanic regions and are caused by the movement of magma in volcanoes. Such quakes can be an early warning of volcanic eruptions.\n\nA recently proposed theory suggests that some earthquakes may occur in a sort of earthquake storm, where one earthquake will trigger a series of earthquakes each triggered by the previous shifts on the fault lines, similar to aftershocks, but occurring years later, and with some of the later earthquakes as damaging as the early ones. Such a pattern was observed in the sequence of about a dozen earthquakes that struck the Anatolian Fault in Turkey in the 20th Century, the half dozen large earthquakes in New Madrid in 1811-1812, and has been inferred for older anomalous clusters of large earthquakes in the Middle East and in the Mojave Desert.\n\nInduced earthquakes\nSome earthquakes are the result of a number of anthropogenic sources, such as extraction of minerals and fossil fuel from the Earth's crust, the removal or injection of fluids into the crust, reservoir-induced seismicity, massive explosions, and collapse of large buildings. These seismic events caused by human activity are referred to by the term induced seismicity. They however are not strictly earthquakes and usually show a different seismogram than earthquakes that occur naturally.\n\nA rare few earthquakes have been associated with the build-up of large masses of water behind dams, such as the Kariba Dam in Zambia, Africa, and with the injection or extraction of fluids into the Earth's crust (e.g. at certain geothermal power plants and at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal). Such earthquakes occur because the strength of the Earth's crust can be modified by fluid pressure. Earthquakes have also been known to be caused by the removal of natural gas from subsurface deposits, for instance in the northern Net
550169
*\nYes! The Hoosier state has trembled in the wake of earth waves generated by powerful earthquakes in the past, and will, no doubt, tremble again in quakes that are yet to come. These pages briefly describe earthquakes in our past, what causes our earthquakes, what is being done to reduce losses that will result from future quakes, and what you should do before, during, and after an earthquake.\n\n\nEarthquakes in Indiana  [New Window] \nArticle about the history and future of earthquakes in Indiana.\nVerified by a Netscape Security Partner: Netscape Security Center http://igs.indiana.edu/geology/earthquakes/eqinindiana/index.cfm
1150175
Earthquakes.. never know when they are going to hit nor how strong.  I have lived through them all and at least with the other 3 I have some warning....
883081
“Earthquake prediction” in the popular language is consonant with short-term prediction.  Scientists are sure about where earthquakes will occur, and a general time span.  For example, I live in San Francisco, and we know that sometime in the next 30 years, there's going to be a big one.\n\nAt the present time, optimism is rather low about the prospects for short-term prediction, because of its local nature: one would have to be fortunate to have instruments within short range of the future focus of a strong earthquake.\n\nResearch into anomalies in the ratio of P- to S-wave velocities, magnetic fields, resistivity, tilt, emission of noble gases, and so on are no longer at the leading edge of contemporary interest.
408202
According to the USGS, not really. In fact, such an attempt could actually have the opposite effect. The types of forces involved in an earthquake are enormous, and significantly beyond the strength of modern human-made structures. Even if we had the technology to stop earthquakes, it would be impossible for us to predict where the next big one would be. The best we can do is to be able to prepare better in the case of an earthquake, and to build structures that are able to withstand large earthquakes. \n\nThe link below will give you further information. It's pretty good.
85265
Actually about two earth tremors are felt every year in Hong Kong. They are small, and less frequent than in other areas, however Hong Kong is NOT necessarily safe from earthquakes. \n\nThe nearest known plate boundary (of the Eurasian and Pacific plates) is about 600 km away, but there are still occasional midplate earthquakes that occur (seismologists do not know the origin of these). However, this does not mean that there is not some other fault nearby that has not revealed itself. Microplates near plate boundaries do exist, and sometimes these are surrounded by "locked" faults (because sufficient stress has not accumulated to overcome the resistance presented by asperities).  This can either mean that the chance of earthquakes is reduced, but it can also mean that if these asperities are overcome, the energy release can be substantial. \n\nThe Hong Kong government seismic observatory states that:\n\n"Several scientific studies carried out recently showed that in Hong Kong, the return period for an Intensity V (5) tremor would be 15 to 20 years and that for an Intensity VII (7) tremor would be 350 to 400 years." \n\nThe intensity scale is known as the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale. An intensity of V corresponds to a magnitude of 4.3 to 4.8 on the Richter scale. An intensity of VII corresponds to a magnitude of 4.8 to 6.2 on the Richter scale.\n\nAccording to the official government of Hong Kong publication on earthquake hazards in Hong Kong:\n\n"Every year, about two earth tremors are felt in Hong Kong. To put this in context, studies into earthquake risk in Hong Kong carried out by the Geotechnical Engineering Office (GEO) classified the seismicity of Hong Kong and the adjoining Guangdong Province as "low to moderate". The earthquake hazard in Hong Kong is therefore considered to be very much lower than in areas such as Japan, Taiwan and the western USA which lie close to the earth's more seismically active zones along crustal plate boundaries. However, earthquake risk in Hong Kong cannot be regarded as negligible."
1041920
The scientists are saying that a "big one" is going to happen. It's not a question of "if", its "when." And they don't know when, it is still, unfortuneatley, impossible to predict earthquakes. They have specials on this topic on the Discovery Channel, so check out your local listings so you can see. I think there's even a movie. Anyways, there is also a huge fault by Washington.
941226
There are no earthquake-safe bridges or buildings. They  can be re-inforced to be earthquake resistant but when the 'big one' hits, they're all coming down. I'm talking about the 9.5 subduction zone quake that is due on the US west coast at any time.
153867
It depends on what you define as an earthquake. A large earthquake that excites the earth's free oscillations will produce detectable ringing for many hours.
1051499
Don't listen to that stuff you are hearing about a major quake.  If it happens it happens.  Here is what I know:  earthquakes cannot be predicted, you are just as likely to die tomorrow as you are a year or ten years from now (excluding a known terminal illness), and it seems senseless to waste energy worrying about this type of thing.  It is a complete unknown.
542255
Eathquakes' intensities are generally measured on the Richter Scale which is a type of logarithmic scale. This scale is not linear and every successive whole number (1,2,3,4...) is 10 times its preceding whole number.\nThus a 7.0 earthquake will be 10 times in magnitude to a 6.0 one. And 8.0 would be 100 times 6.0