Submitted by: Submitted by ladypope
Views: 164
Words: 273
Pages: 2
Category: Other Topics
Date Submitted: 02/11/2013 12:45 PM
Why are earthquakes so difficult to predict and respond to?
Prediction:
Despite much research it is still almost impossible to predict where along the plates there will be a collision. Any research at present can only predict the likelihood of earthquakes over a long time span, possibly hundreds of years, so this is of little help when trying to predict imminent quakes and save lives by evacuating the areas likely to be affected. Research of rock changes forms a major part of most studies and science can detect a build-up of pressure or electrical and magnetic changes, but despite the occurrence of some generalised patterns, short term predictions are still not achievable with any accuracy.
Obviously the accurate prediction of an earthquake would allow for the safe evacuation and shutdown of the area under threat, but it is unlikely that predictions will ever be more accurate than a time span of a few years. It's impossible to consider the full scale evacuation of whole cities and towns for such long periods of time, so until such time that an absolutely fail-safe system is developed that can accurately predict earthquakes within days, generalised predictions are of very little use.
Despite the best technology, and years of research, the prediction of earthquakes is still down to little more than educated guesswork.
Response:
No disaster response can magically sweep away all of these pre-existing problems. Response planning needs to be firmly based on the reality of the affected country. While the shock of the disaster may provide opportunities for introducing social and other changes, the window for such changes is quite small.