Why is it so hard to predict earthquakes?
Published February 9, 2023
Al Jazeera mentioned UB’s Structural Engineering and Earthquake Simulation Laboratory and quoted Michel Bruneau, SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, in a story explaining how earthquakes happen in light of the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria.
The story mentions that the unique lab simulates earthquakes year round using two giant shaking tables. “It is possible to build structures that can survive this,” Bruneau said, referring to a magnitude 7.8 earthquake. “You can engineer the structure such that the damage is contained, so the occupants can escape,” even for buildings built from reinforced concrete, a material used worldwide, he added.
The Associated Press also quoted Bruneau in a story fact-checking claims that earthquakes can be predicted. “There’s no science, magic, or wizardry right now that exists that makes one able to predict an earthquake within a certain window,” Bruneau said. “Currently, scientists cannot predict earthquakes on a precise date.”
