New Clues May Help Predict Earthquakes

Researchers could be closer to predicting earthquakes hours before they happen, with an article in the journal Nature detailing how scientists detected seismic changes in rocks as much as 10 hours before two small California temblors. “Hurricane [warnings] give you an idea of what could be done,” one researcher told the BBC of such a breakthrough—still perhaps years away in daily application.

The researchers drilled holes along the San Andreas Fault, lowering sensors that could measure the speed of seismic waves. The system was able to correctly predict two small quakes, detecting velocity changes beforehand—once two hours before the tremor, and once 10 hours prior. (More earthquake stories.)