50 years ago, scientists were looking for ways to predict earthquakes
Excerpt from the October 10, 1970 issue of Science News
Earthquakes, like the magnitude 5.7 tremor that damaged buildings in Magna, Utah, (pictured) in March, are still impossible to predict. But better quake risk forecasts, early warning systems and aftershock predictions can help people stay safe.
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Warnings from the wells — Science News, October 10, 1970
Seismologists are studying ways to predict the occurrence of earthquakes…. One possibility … is to monitor subterranean fluid pressures.… Fluctuations in the production rates of oil, gas and water wells are often associated with earthquakes, and sometimes precede them soon enough to provide some warning.
Update
It’s still not possible to predict when or where earthquakes will strike. But hazard models can estimate the likelihood that a quake will rock an area within a given time frame. Scientists now know that wastewater injection can trigger earthquakes, and account for those underground fluids in hazard models.
When a quake does hit, modern early warning systems can help people brace for shaking. Those systems use readouts from seismic sensors to gauge when surrounding areas will start to tremble, offering seconds to minutes of advance notice (SN: 4/4/14). The first public system in the United States started sending alerts to Californians in 2019. A rollout to other quake-prone states has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
