I've always been skeptical about earthquake predictions, but this new Israeli study, which focuses on friction movement, says it could improve these predictions. The researchers looked at the waves (or fronts) of detachment between two surfaces. And they found that even if the two traditional fronts, which propagate at sonic and supersonic velocities, are present at the time of rupture, a recently discovered much slower wave is the dominant force leading to the rupture.
These slow waves are not felt before or during an earthquake, but can be measured and used to prevent future ones. However, this implies that their method of microscale measurements in the lab can successfully be adapted at the macroscale of earth subsurface. So even if this study is interesting, I doubt it will be used for accurate earthquake prediction before a long time.
Read more to see the experimental device they used and post a comment if you think this method has a real potential to predict future earthquakes.
These slow waves are not felt before or during an earthquake, but can be measured and used to prevent future ones. However, this implies that their method of microscale measurements in the lab can successfully be adapted at the macroscale of earth subsurface. So even if this study is interesting, I doubt it will be used for accurate earthquake prediction before a long time.
Read more to see the experimental device they used and post a comment if you think this method has a real potential to predict future earthquakes.
| :: posted by Roland Piquepaille, 1:06 PM | Comments (0)
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