Open AccessEarthquakes: Thinking about the unpredictable
Author(s) -
Geller Robert J.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/97eo00044
Subject(s) - earthquake prediction , action (physics) , scheme (mathematics) , forensic engineering , seismology , computer science , political science , engineering , geology , mathematics , mathematical analysis , physics , quantum mechanics
The possibility of predicting earthquakes has been investigated by professionals and amateurs, seismologists and nonseismologists, for over 100 years. More than once, hopes of a workable earthquake prediction scheme have been raised only to be dashed. Such schemes—on some occasions accompanied by claims of an established track record—continue to be proposed, not only by Earth scientists, but also by workers in other fields. The assessment of these claims is not just a scientific or technical question. Public administrators and policy makers must make decisions regarding appropriate action in response to claims that some scheme has a predictive capability, or to specific predictions of imminent earthquakes.