TECTONICS
Off the Scale: How the latest tech is cracking the earthquake code
Jul 12, 2019
Written by
Mark Rowe
In the 4th century BC, Aristotle proposed that earthquakes were caused by winds trapped in subterranean caves. Small tremors were triggered by air pushing on the cavern roofs, large ones by air breaking the surface. We now know a good…
![[From the Geographical Archive] Reporting on earthquakes in 1940](/media/k2/items/cache/b5f63d7f27a4a3875b11ca337fab6f4a_S.jpg)
[From the Geographical Archive] Reporting on earthquakes in 1940
Jul 12, 2019
Written by
Ernest Tillotson
Earthquakes from time immemorial have attracted the attention of the world’s greatest thinkers. That they continue to do so is no wonder for two outstanding reasons: they cause tremendous havoc, and, though we know a great deal about them, they…
The day the Himalaya shook
Jul 12, 2019
Written by
Jonny Hawkins
A planned kayaking expedition in Nepal took on a whole new dimension for Jonny Hawkins when he found himself caught in the devastating Gorkha earthquake. Thoughts of exploration soon turned to helping those in need
Are nuclear reactors at risk from earthquakes?
Jul 11, 2019
Written by
Katie Burton
Scientists from Bristol University are working in conjunction with EDF Energy to test the effect of earthquakes on nuclear reactor cores
![[From the Geographical Archive] The man who loved earthquakes](/media/k2/items/cache/1937e92fe6e374fad96065dfaf6eb069_S.jpg)
[From the Geographical Archive] The man who loved earthquakes
Jul 10, 2019
Written by
Geographical Archive
In the 1930s, Charles Richter developed a simple scale for measuring earthquakes which is still in use today. Geographical profiles this brilliant and somewhat eccentric man
The San Andreas Fault may be linked to others – which could make the next earthquake worse
Jul 10, 2019
Written by
Katie Burton
Models suggest that far from ending at the Imperial Valley, the San Andreas Fault may be linked to two other faults in the region, forming a continuous line from California into Mexico
Why earthquakes at mid-ocean ridges are more common at low-tide
Jul 09, 2019
Written by
Katie Burton
Researchers at Colombia University have answered a question that has confounded scientists for decades – why are earthquakes in the ocean linked to low-tide?
Earthquakes: How prepared is San Francisco?
Jul 09, 2019
Written by
Mark Rowe
How prepared can any government or city be against a major earthquake? Even if you are a developed nation that throws all the technology you have at the issue, it seems you can only prepare so much
Cartograms: sixteen years of major earthquakes
Jul 08, 2019
Written by
Benjamin Hennig
Benjamin Hennig creates a series of cartograms to demonstrate the impact of the 439 major earthquakes which took place between 2001 and 2017
Turkey’s slow-motion earthquake
May 16, 2019
Written by
Katie Burton
The discovery of a slow-motion earthquake near Istanbul, which took place in 2016, raises the question of how these lesser-known events interact with more deadly natural disasters
Volcanoes fed by ‘mush reservoirs’ not pools of liquid magma
Jan 28, 2019
Written by
Katie Burton
Everything we thought we knew about eruptions could be wrong
On the edge – is thrill-seeking tourism really worth the risk?
Dec 20, 2018
Written by
RGS-IBG
Why unprepared tourists are putting themselves at risk in order to see live volcanic eruptions
Explaining the location of Mount St Helens
Nov 13, 2018
Written by
Chris Fitch
The reason for the unusual location of Mount St Helens is becoming clearer
Earthquakes trigger seismic activity half the world away
Oct 13, 2018
Written by
Chris Fitch
Major earthquakes are triggering seismic activity half the world away
Special report: Gili Trawangan earthquake in pictures
Aug 10, 2018
Written by
Geographical
Earlier this week, Indonesia was struck by a series of powerful earthquakes. Photographer and island resident, Alfie Minnaar files this special photographic report as the islanders of Gili Trawangan attempt to deal with the aftermath
Zealandia: what is a continent?
Feb 22, 2017
Written by
Chris Fitch
How does the proposed allocation of ‘Zealandia’ as an independent continent affect our understanding of the planet’s continental organisation?
Boom time: predicting Iceland's volcanoes
Feb 04, 2017
Written by
Chris Fitch
Fears that volcano eruptions in Iceland are set to regularly disrupt air travel are being tempered by a new study into the frequency of such events
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