Under 10% of an earthquake’s energy makes the ground shake
SMRTR summary
MIT researchers used miniature laboratory earthquakes to discover that only 1% to 10% of an earthquake's energy actually causes ground shaking, while the vast majority generates heat that can melt surrounding rock material. The remaining 1% to 30% goes into fracturing and damaging underground rocks. These energy distribution patterns vary based on a region's past tectonic activity, which influences how destructive future earthquakes might be in that area.
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to MIT Technology Review.
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