A study reviews China's development in seismic risk management, tracing the field's progress from disaster response policies to catastrophe risk management and emergency management. The authors suggest strengthening engineering foundations while prioritizing system recovery and adaptation after earthquakes.
Researchers uncovered previously undetected slow slip events in Parkfield, California, and found that these silent fault movements systematically follow increased low-frequency earthquake activity. The discovery suggests that slow slip may play an important role in how stress evolves along active faults.
The Seismological Society of America's new journal, The Seismic Record, has achieved an exceptional impact factor of 5.3, ranking 6th globally. Its gold open-access model has expanded its international audience, with over 485,000 downloads to date.
Researchers used an AI model to detect Bryde's whale calls in seismic data collected in the South China Sea. The model achieved high accuracy, detecting calls over 96% of the time and identifying seasonal variations in whale behavior.
Researchers reconstructed the 2025 Kamchatka earthquake's rupture evolution using two methods, finding it extended about 500 km from its epicenter. The rupture overlap with the 1952 magnitude 9.0 event suggests local structural features control megathrust margin ruptures.
A study proposes a new mechanism, the 'delayed seismic champagne effect,' where earthquakes can trigger fires by releasing methane from soft sediment layers beneath cities. The research found intense shaking that drove methane into a supersaturated state, leading to localized ruptures and rapid gas releases.
The study reveals a 250-kilometer-long linear cluster of about 1750 earthquakes marking the edge of the Yakutat microplate as it subducts beneath the North America plate. The new extent places it directly below the apex of curvature of the Alaska range and the Denali fault.
Researchers studied deformed δ-AlOOH and H minerals under high pressure and temperature. These findings suggest hydrous minerals contribute significantly to seismic anisotropy near flattened slab tops.
A new design system for seismic performance offers distinct advantages over conventional designs, reducing internal forces and maintaining structural integrity. The integration of tuned mass dampers achieves significant vibration reduction rates.
Researchers at Kyoto University discovered a previously unrecognized feature in near-fault seismic records of large earthquakes: a distinct stopping phase. This phase represents a systematic signal associated with the termination of rupture, demonstrating that many near-field recordings contain this coherent stopping phase.
A unique machine learning study identified over 60,000 earthquakes during the 2025 Santorini seismic crisis. The researchers found six times more earthquakes in the first 30 days compared to traditional monitoring, providing insights into fault networks and magma movement.
The study demonstrates the potential for rapid deployment of fiber optic cable and Distributed Acoustic Sensing in environments where burying the cable isn't feasible, capturing aircraft speed and maneuvering.
The underground laboratory in Nevada has extensive faulting, with signs of rock displacement and slickensides observed throughout the facility. The faults' age is unknown, and their potential impact on seismic safety designs is unclear.
Researchers use global seismic networks and satellite observations to detect calving tidewater glaciers in Greenland. Large ice loss events are becoming more frequent, making it essential to understand their frequency, location, and factors leading to calving.
Researchers found that fin whale calls dropped dramatically during seismic surveying off northwestern Spain, with a 70% decrease in calls across three sites. The study highlights the potential impacts of seismic surveys on whale communication, energy expenditure, and habitat use.
A new method, MIDA, uses physics-based ground motion simulations tied to earthquake magnitude to better assess seismic performance of near-fault structures. This approach reduces subjectivity and nonphysical distortion, providing a more stable and realistic prediction of structural response.
A new study has confirmed that much of the deep mantle deformation occurs where researchers suspect there may be deeply subducted tectonic slabs. The research used an unprecedented database of over 16 million seismograms to analyze seismic anisotropy and provide a global map of the phenomenon.
Frangopol and his team develop a framework to optimize seismic retrofit strategies for deteriorating bridge columns, balancing risk and cost. The approach integrates time-dependent risk assessment, economic evaluation, and real options analysis to identify optimal intervention timing under uncertainty.
Research found that people who spend a higher proportion of their total physical activity doing vigorous activity have substantially lower risks of all eight serious health conditions. The benefits of vigorous activity remained even when the amount of time was modest.
New research uses SWOT satellite data to detect two-dimensional tsunami wave patterns near the earthquake's source, offering critical insight for coastal risk evaluation. The study found that trailing tsunami waves are linked to an earthquake rupture occurring less than 10 kilometers beneath the trench.
A recent study combines two modelling approaches to capture the seismicity associated with land uplift and earthquake swarms in the Phlegraean Fields. The model explains long-term trends in earthquake activity by combining changes in stress within the Earth's crust with friction behaviour of geological faults.
Using Distributed Acoustic Sensing technology, scientists deployed fibre-optic cables across the lunar surface to detect seismic waves generated by moonquakes, meteorites, and landings. The cables can record signals at a higher spatial resolution than traditional seismic networks.
A 45-year study found that early life leisure-time physical activity is linked to better work ability in late adulthood. Higher levels of activity throughout the lifespan contribute significantly to work ability, with a dose-response association observed in late adulthood.
Researchers found that adults with ADHD exhibit more sleep-like brain activity, leading to more lapses in attention. This increased activity may be a key brain mechanism underlying attention problems in ADHD. Further study is needed to explore potential strategies to mitigate this activity.
Deformation mechanisms of serpentinite, a key research target for understanding plate boundaries, have been investigated. Grain boundary sliding dominates deformation, producing 'B-type' CPO patterns, which contribute to seismic activity and earthquakes.
Eduardo Miranda, a Stanford University professor, has been recognized for his pioneering work in developing new ground motion models and intensity measures. His research has significantly shaped seismic design provisions and emphasized the use of strong-motion data in both research and teaching.
Researchers use ground-based seismic sensors to detect sonic booms from reentering space debris, estimating its trajectory, size, composition, and potential impact locations. The approach was tested on the Shenzhou-15 orbital module's reentry, revealing a progressive fragmentation pattern that matched eyewitness reports.
New research simulates 10,000 years of seismic activity to show how underground temperature and sediment patterns control where earthquakes start, spread, and stop. This study provides a more accurate picture of the Main Marmara Fault's behavior, essential for building codes, emergency planning, and infrastructure decisions.
Kevin Milner, a research geophysicist at the USGS Geologic Hazards Science Center, has been awarded the Seismological Society of America's Charles F. Richter Early Career Award for his innovative work in seismic hazard analysis modeling and earthquake forecasting.
A new synthesis of seismic research shows that AI combined with physical principles is rapidly transforming how scientists image the Earth's shallow and crustal structures. The study highlights the need for physics-guided AI frameworks that balance computational efficiency with interpretability.
A recent Science study analyzing seismic data reveals a series of eastward-propagating M>5 events along the Main Marmara Fault over the last ~15 years. This finding highlights the need for continuous monitoring to assess the potential impact of a large quake on Istanbul's 18 million inhabitants.
A team of scientists simulated high-pressure conditions and found that onion-like layering in iron alloys can explain seismic anomalies in the Earth's inner core. This discovery suggests a compositional gradient with increasing core depth, linking anisotropy to chemical stratification.
New seismic data reveals north-south horizontal compression as the regional stress field, consistent with both thrust and strike-slip faulting. The study proposes a tectonic model explaining megathrust earthquakes and mountain uplift through low-angle subduction of the Moho and flat-ramp geometry of the Indian plate.
Researchers studying seismic signals from Alaska's Prince William Sound have identified unusual impulsive events that increase in rate from summer to winter, before coming to an abrupt halt. These events may be linked to water freezing and thawing within rock cracks beneath nearby Cascade Glacier.
Sánz-Sesma's work on seismic wave propagation has made a significant impact on seismic hazard assessment and earthquake engineering. His research integrates theoretical rigor, numerical modeling, and empirical observation to advance our understanding of seismic wave phenomena.
Seismic activity in Yellowstone's subsurface microbial communities led to changes in chemical energy and planktonic cell concentrations. The study found that kinetic energy from earthquakes can change the geochemical and microbial compositions of aquifer fluids.
A new study by Montana State University professor Eric Boyd explores how Yellowstone's earthquakes impact microbial life and the planet's earliest ecosystems. The research reveals that earthquakes allow fresh minerals to be exposed, replenishing the energy source for microbes, which could provide insights into life on other planets.
A massive swarm of earthquakes in 2025 was triggered by pulses of magma tunneling far below the seafloor, according to a new study. The findings provide a detailed look at a 'pumping' magmatic dike in action and offer insights into more reliable eruption forecasting.
Researchers at the University of California, Davis, found that rocks on fault lines can glue themselves back together within hours after a seismic event. This discovery challenges current models of fault behavior and suggests that cohesion may play a crucial role in major earthquakes.
Researchers at University of Alaska Fairbanks used seismic data to identify aircraft types by analyzing frequency imprints from sound waves. The method involves removing Doppler effect and creating a frequency comb, which is then matched with a catalog of aircraft frequency patterns.
Researchers used seismic sensors to identify the type of aircraft flying over Alaska, determining flight parameters and source frequencies. The study collected data from hundreds of flights, distinguishing between piston, turboprop, jet, and helicopter aircraft.
A recent study published in Science reveals that Myanmar's Sagaing Fault produced a supershear earthquake with speeds up to five kilometers per second, causing widespread destruction. The researchers attribute this phenomenon to the fault's ideal geometry and contrasting rock properties.
Citizens' smartphones can be used to create highly detailed site amplification maps, providing critical input for seismic hazard assessment and supporting earthquake emergency response. The new approach, based on the Earthquake Network initiative, aggregates thousands of measurements to yield reliable high-resolution amplification maps.
A new study on the March 2025 Mandalay earthquake reveals that an unusually thick, low-velocity fault zone enabled a supershear rupture to sustain for hundreds of kilometers. This behavior often occurs on simple, straight faults like the San Andreas and Sagaing faults.
Researchers at Penn State developed a tool to analyze seismic activities linked to Arctic sea ice movements, providing insights into ice characteristics and interactions. The new approach can help coastal communities assess threats from drifting sea ice, such as erosion and wave creation.
Researchers found similarities in timing and structure of turbidite layers in cores from both fault systems, suggesting seismic synchronization between Cascadia and San Andreas faults. The study, led by Chris Goldfinger, suggests that earthquakes on one fault could draw down resources across the country.
A new study suggests that water, even heavy rainfall, can play a role in or trigger seismic events, improving models of seismic activity. The research also helps identify optimal sites for drilling to tap sources of supercritical geothermal energy.
An earthquake swarm in Santorini was triggered by magma displacement, generating over 28,000 recorded earthquakes. The study reveals the chain of events that led to this seismic activity, including a hydraulic connection between two volcanoes.
Researchers used AI to identify four times more earthquakes than earlier tools and pinpoint previously unknown faults in the region. The study expands seismicity recorded by monitoring stations from 2022 to 2025, revealing two faults converging under the town of Pozzuoli west of Naples.
Researchers used a Taylor Swift concert as a unique opportunity to study seismic activity and engage the public in science. The 'SwiftQuake' was detected more than 100km away from the stadium, showcasing how cultural events can enhance scientific understanding.
Researchers at UC Santa Barbara have characterized low-frequency signals from breaking ocean waves, which can be used to monitor sea conditions. The team developed a method for identifying the acoustic and seismic signatures of breaking waves and located their sources along the coast.
Researchers have made a breakthrough in understanding post-seismic velocity changes by studying the effects of friction at grain contacts. The team found that contact sliding and aging are responsible for these time-dependent changes in wave velocities.
A new study of Martian seismic data collected by NASA's InSight mission reveals a highly heterogeneous and disordered mantle on Mars, born from ancient impacts and chaotic convection. The findings offer an unprecedented window into the geological history and thermochemical evolution of a terrestrial planet under a stagnant lid.
Researchers analyzed atmospheric pressure waves from a massive South Pacific volcanic eruption to determine the speed of seismic waves in Alaska's upper crust. The study provided valuable information on subsurface material properties, such as hardness, which controls seismic velocity.
Research investigates seismic scatterers in the lower mantle by studying the phase transition of (Al, H)-bearing stishovite under high pressure and temperature conditions. The results show that varying Al content can explain depth distributions of seismic scatterers observed in the circum-Pacific region.
The magnitude 7.7 Myanmar earthquake had the highest recorded rupture velocity, exceeding 5.3 km/s, a phenomenon known as supershear propagation. This was confirmed by analysis of satellite images and seismic station recordings.
Researchers have discovered that low-velocity zones beneath subducting tectonic plates are caused by partial melts generated from upwelling water-rich mantle material. These melt pockets rise through the mantle, creating a global water-recycling loop and lubricating plate motion.
A modified rapid visual screening approach in Pakistan assesses the seismic vulnerability of buildings in high-risk areas, recommending retrofitting and strengthening measures. The study emphasizes the importance of community engagement and education to build a culture of preparedness and reduce seismic risk.
New research found microearthquakes in the central Southern Alps increase during warmer periods, triggered by meltwater from glaciers and seasonal snow. The study highlights the role of extreme rainfall and glacier dynamics in seismic activity.