preventing big earthquakes
Nov. 30th, 2009 12:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
guslThis document contains what sounds like a crackpot idea: causing small earthquakes in order to prevent large ones. I am not an expert, but their logic seems sensible, so for all I know it might work.
My understanding is that earthquakes happen when two tectonic plates are moving towards each other, and the pressure buildup causes slippage between the (hard) sides of the fault.
I can imagine potential solutions falling into 3 categories:
* release the pressure more gently (e.g. more often), perhaps causing smaller earthquakes. The above idea is an example of this.
* prevent slippage, e.g. by filling faults with hard material
* dampen the slippage, like the above, but using softer material.
My understanding is that earthquakes happen when two tectonic plates are moving towards each other, and the pressure buildup causes slippage between the (hard) sides of the fault.
I can imagine potential solutions falling into 3 categories:
* release the pressure more gently (e.g. more often), perhaps causing smaller earthquakes. The above idea is an example of this.
* prevent slippage, e.g. by filling faults with hard material
* dampen the slippage, like the above, but using softer material.