Can earthquakes be predicted? Many seismologists would probably answer, “Not yet, but eventually.” But to date, nobody has been able to predict earthquakes reliably enough and over short enough time scales to allow the evacuation of threatened cities. Some scientists have entirely lost faith in earthquake prediction.

But the mounting death toll in Sichuan, China — over 15,000 lives lost and surely more to come — reminds us that quake prediction is worth studying. Read an article about the research being conducted to achieve reliable prediction methods.

Find out more about earthquakes at Savage Earth online:

• Discover the lessons we have learned from past quakes.
• Learn how engineers approach earthquake hazards when they design office towers, bridges, and apartment blocks to survive tremors.
• Watch an animation of an earthquake as it travels outwards from its epicenter through the Earth’s layers.