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Three women sit on the ruins of a building after an earthquake in Morocco
Image: Sylvain Rostaing/Le Pictorium/MAXPPP/picture alliance/dpa

Earthquakes

There are about 500,000 detectable earthquakes every year — 90% are in the Pacific Ring of Fire. But the most seismic region is the Alpide belt, which runs east from the Mediterranean to Turkey, Iran and northern India.

Skip next section Reports & Analysis

Reports & Analysis

Rubble following a tsunami in Thailand in 2004

How do tsunamis form?

How do tsunamis form?

Tsunamis are rare but can cause mass destruction. Here’s what you need to know about the science behind them.
ScienceApril 25, 2024
partially collapsed building in Hualien

Rescue efforts continue as Taiwan braces for aftershocks

Rescue efforts continue as Taiwan braces for aftershocks

Taiwanese rescuers are working to reach scores of people still trapped after Wednesday's earthquake.
CatastropheApril 4, 202402:02 min
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Dozens still missing or stranded after Taiwan quake

Dozens still missing or stranded after Taiwan quake

Emergency crews are working to clear roads and secure damaged buildings as death toll climbs to 10.
CatastropheApril 4, 202401:26 min
A tilted building in Taiwan

How prepared is Taiwan for earthquakes?

How prepared is Taiwan for earthquakes?

Taiwan sits at a boundary of tectonic plates and has a long history of catastrophic quakes.
Nature and EnvironmentApril 4, 2024
Building leans as people look on from the street, with cars parked and stopped

Taiwan earthquake caused destruction from coast to coast

Taiwan earthquake caused destruction from coast to coast

At least nine people were killed and hundreds injured in the 7.2 magnitude earthquake. Many are still missing.
Nature and EnvironmentApril 3, 20246 images
Emergency responders look at a bady damage residential building in Hualien.

Massive earthquake rocks Taiwan

Massive earthquake rocks Taiwan

The deadly 7.2 magnitude quake struck off Taiwan's eastern coast, with the worst damage reported in the city of Hualien.
CatastropheApril 3, 202401:34 min
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Skip next section In the spotlight

In the spotlight

Destroyed buildings in Wajima, Japan, following the quake.

Japan: Ishikawa earthquake survivors strive to rebuild lives

Landslides and bad weather continue to hamper rescue efforts in a remote rural region devastated by the January 1 quake.
Nature and EnvironmentJanuary 11, 2024
Screengrabs of videos on social media

Fact check: These earthquake videos from Japan are recycled

Out-of-context videos are circulating on social media following this week's major earthquake in Japan.
Nature and EnvironmentJanuary 3, 2024
Japanese Self-Defense Force soldiers conduct rescue operations at a collapsed house caused by an earthquake in Japan January 2, 2024.

Japan earthquake: How can buildings be more resilient?

In an earthquake, the resulting building collapses — not the tremors themselves — are what lead to high death tolls.
ScienceJanuary 3, 2024
Survivors of the Nepal earthquake try to keep themselves warm outside their damaged houses

Nepal earthquake survivors deal with deadly cold

Survivors of the November quake are still at risk. At least 34 have died after weeks in makeshift tents in the cold.
CatastropheDecember 29, 2023
A helicopter flies near a volcanic eruption and lava flow near the Icelandic town of Grindavik on the Reykjanes peninsula

Why some volcanoes just keep spewing lava

Volcanic eruptions are a constant threat for people living in Iceland, as is Italy's Mount Etna and Hawaii's Kilauea.
ScienceDecember 19, 2023
A car drives toward a fissure in a road in the town of Grindavik, Iceland

Iceland prepares for volcanic eruption

The area around the fishing town of Grindavik has been evacuated, as a magma corridor winds its way toward the Atlantic.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 14, 20238 images