science and updates

Seismicity is the study of how often earthquakes occur in a given geographical location, which types of earthquakes occur there, why they occur, mechanisms and magnitude. Because almost all earthquakes originate from fault zones, it is essential to identify, map and study active faults in the region that is being studied (although most active faults are hidden by erosion, sedimentation, soil, vegetation and/or because they are blind faults). By considering the following factors, the seismicity of an area can be statistically quantified and forecasted: Tectonic setting of the area (its proximity to a plate boundary and characteristics of the plate boundary) Location and the number of active faults in the area Earthquake history of the area (e.g. frequency) Presence of geologic structures  Amount of stress and strain on rocks  TYPES OF EARTHQUAKES: Based on focus-depth, there are 3 types of earthquakes:  1) shallow-focus: at depths <70 km,  2) intermediate-focus: at...