EQ FAQs

ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ABOUT EARTHQUAKES
IN TEXAS, THE USA, AND THE WORLD.

ORGANIZATION OF THIS FAQ

THIS list of questions and answers is not meant to be a comprehensive primer on earthquakes or earthquake research. Instead we present some basic information about earthquakes necessary to understand the topics covered in the FAQ, and some more specific material about earthquakes in Texas, the U.S.A., and the world, and list some sources for additional study. The topics covered represent some of the more common questions asked by students, reporters, and the public. Thus we organize the questions and answers into the following topics:

Basics

What is an earthquake? What is a fault? What is magnitude? What is intensity?

Texas (TX)

Yes, there are earthquakes in Texas: the Where? and the Why?;

USA

California, the west coast, and earthquakes; other earthquake hazards accross the USA;

World

General questions on earthquake hazards world wide; biggest and most damaging;

Sources

Some references, some hyperlinks for additional information;

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
THIS list of Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About Earthquakes was compiled by Paul Nyffenegger and Cliff Frohlich.