Earthquake prediction is a controversial topic. Now, the international journal Nature brings us a moderated, on-line debate among 8 seismologists, including the USGS's Andrew Michael. In-depth reports from seismological and societal perspectives including background, casualties, damage, and what was learned scientifically. Lots of great photos and eyewitness accounts. The type of soil at a site affects the strength of seismic shaking there.
Softer soils amplify the shaking.
Learn about this effect and use an interactive map to determine the soil type at any site in the San Francisco Bay area. These pages summarize the results of numerous scientific investigations into the nature of the earthquake source, the shaking it produced and its damaging effects in the Los Angeles area. Speeding Earthquake Disaster Relief Scientists and emergency managers have found new ways to speed and improve relief efforts with the rapid availability of earthquake information from seismograph networks. By predicting the intensity of shaking due to an earthquake before the earthquake occurs we can help plan to prevent damage. By monitoring how structures respond to earthquakes and applying the knowledge gained, scientists and engineers are improving the ability of structures to survive major earthquakes.