At China’s first Enhanced Geothermal System site, dense seismic observations, integrated with borehole data and stress modeling, reveal weak faults and scale-dependent control of stress and structure on induced seismicity.
earthquakes
Fatalities from landslides in earthquakes
A new study (Sun et al. 2026) shows that in six earthquakes in China between 2010 and 2022, landslides and rockfalls were responsible for at least half of the total fatalities. It is well-established that landslides are a major cause of loss of life in earthquakes in mountainous areas. The seismology maxim that “it is […]
Weak Faults Play a Strong Role in the Tibetan Plateau’s Deformation
Ten years’ worth of data reveal that two theories about how the Tibetan Plateau deforms are both probably right.
A Swarm of Earthquakes in South Africa’s Karoo Basin Poses Questions for Oil and Gas Development
A recent study cautions that the Karoo, a potential target for shale gas exploration, might not be as seismologically calm as it appears.
Sensing the Sounds from Earth’s Hazardous Environments
Low-cost infrasound sensors, deployed in large numbers, provide a practical means of data collection near volcanoes, earthquakes, wildfires, and other geophysical phenomena.
On the Seattle Fault, the Biggest Quakes Aren’t the Most Likely
Smaller quakes from secondary faults—which are not included in national seismic hazard modeling—occur more frequently than previously thought.
Taming the Seismicity Tsunami with a Scalable Bayesian Framework
By combining the power of artificial intelligence with advanced physics simulations, a new framework called “SPIDER” allows us to map seismic activity with unprecedented clarity.
Scientists Create the First Map of Deep Earthquakes Beneath Continents
Scientists once thought Earth’s continental mantle was too weak for earthquakes. A new global map of 459 deep tremors suggests otherwise.
Boomerang Earthquakes Don’t Need Complex Faults
New simulations show earthquakes can reverse direction within seconds on simple, uniform faults, suggesting back-propagating subevents are more common than previously thought.
Liquefaction induced by the 29 March 2025 Mw=7.7 Mandalay earthquake
The Landslide Blog is written by Dave Petley, who is widely recognized as a world leader in the study and management of landslides. Of all the ground impacts induced by large earthquakes, liquefaction often feels to be the most neglected. The costs can be savage, and the long term implications wide ranging. In this context, […]
