What can be done to mitigate the hazardous effects of earthquakes?
The ultimate method for reducing the severity of earthquake damage and loss of life is dependable earthquake prediction. Early warning of seismic events insures that appropriate agencies and personnel have the time to adequately prepare and respond to the pending disaster. Methods used by researchers in attempting to predict earthquakes include: change in groundwater levels, electrical conductivity, changes or deformation of the ground surface, and changes in the strain prior to an event. These methods, however, are not consistently reliable. Consequently, predicting earthquakes is a difficult proposition. Most geologists, in fact, believe that truly accurate earthquake forecasting is something that will not appear for quite a while. There are, however, companies that provide earthquake forecasts to subscribers for a fee. One such company is GeoForecaster, Inc. Click here to learn more about the methodology GeoForecaster follows in attempting to predict earthquake activity.
