Knowing a little more about quakes

A study reported today in Nature suggests it may be possible to give several seconds' warning before a major earthquake hits based on the P waves sent out when an underground rupture begins. Some scientists are skeptical, however, since the finding goes against what has been understood about the way that earthquakes "cascade" from minor events into major destructive shakes. The paper in Nature says that analysis of P Waves—which produce that first light wobbling some of us detect before the main shock of a distant quake arrives—gives signs about the severity of the earthquake. Stories on the study by Usha Lee McFarling in the LAT and Alicia Chang of AP, plus a release from UC Berkeley.