Weather forecasters can usually say if it’s going to be cold tomorrow.
However, no one can say when an earthquake will hit. Still, we can predict some things. One way to know what’s coming is to know the history of an area. But the Earth’s history is way longer than our records are. So, seismologists are always looking for the signs that come before an earthquake. One example is foreshocks, or small tremors that happen before larger ones. Another is strange animal behavior. Scientists can even get a clue from well water. Sometimes the amount of radon, a radioactive gas, in the water goes up.
These signs help. But it’s still hard to know when an earthquake will hit and how strong it will be. Experts say the best plan is to build things that can stand up to earthquakes. That’s really important in places where quakes happen a lot. Buildings that resist earthquakes have columns inside. These run in one piece from the ground to the roof. Brick walls are made stronger. Materials that can bend a little, such as steel, let a building sway without falling.
