How Well Do Mapped Tectonic Faults Predict the Location of Surface Rupture in the Next Earthquake?

zoom image of fault mapping class

16 April 2025—In places where earthquakes rupture the Earth’s surface, scientists often try to predict the location of these future fault ruptures based on the geological fault traces created in past earthquakes. But how accurate are these fault traces in predicting the next rupture location? At the Seismological Society of … Continue Reading »