UC Riverside Scientists Develop New Method to Predict Locations of Major Earthquakes
Scientists at the University of California, Riverside, led by geophysicists Gareth Funning and Axel Periollat, have developed a novel method to identify where Earth's largest earthquakes are most likely to occur. This new approach focuses on subduction zones, areas where one tectonic plate slides beneath another, which are responsible for the planet's most powerful seismic events, including those exceeding magnitude 8.5 and often generating devastating tsunamis. The method utilizes GPS measurements of subtle ground deformation to pinpoint sections of faults that are 'locked' and accumulating stress. These locked regions, known as asperities, act as friction points that resist movement until sufficient stress builds up to trigger a major earthquake. In a recent test, the researchers successfully identified the exact segment of the Kamchatka subduction zone in eastern Russia where a massive earthquake subsequently struck. While the method does not predict the timing of earthquakes, it provides crucial inform... 
