Scientists can now map where massive earthquakes may strike
Scientists at the University of California, Riverside, have developed a method that could help identify where some of the world’s largest earthquakes are most likely to occur, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
The approach does not predict when an earthquake will happen. Instead, it uses satellite-based measurements of tiny movements in the ground to identify sections of major faults that are locked in place and gradually storing energy.
Researchers tested the method on the Kamchatka subduction zone in eastern Russia, where one tectonic plate is being pushed beneath another. Such zones are responsible for many of the world's strongest earthquakes and can also generate destructive tsunamis.
Using measurements collected before the magnitude 8.8 Kamchatka earthquake of July 2025, the researchers identified a large locked section of the fault that closely matched the area that later ruptured. Their calculations also showed that the strain accumulated there since a major earthquake in 1952 was broadly consistent with the amount of energy released in 2025.
The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, found that smaller strongly locked areas within the larger zone were located close to where the 1952 and 2025 earthquakes began. This suggests that some sections of a fault may remain dangerous across multiple earthquake cycles.
The comparison between the two Kamchatka earthquakes also showed why similar-sized events can have very different effects. The 1952 earthquake produced much more movement near the ocean trench, resulting in a far larger tsunami, while the 2025 earthquake was concentrated deeper underground and caused less shallow movement.
Researchers stress that the method cannot determine the exact date of a future earthquake or predict how large a tsunami will be. Its main value is in showing where strain is concentrated, which could help governments and communities improve long-term disaster planning.
The team is now exploring how the approach could be used in other earthquake-prone regions, including Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, the Pacific Northwest and parts of California. Wider use, however, will require better monitoring, particularly beneath the ocean, where many dangerous faults are located.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that an earthquake was recorded in Kazakhstan on September 6, with an estimated intensity of 2 points in the village of Ulken-Naryn in East Kazakhstan Region.
