Why Earthquakes in Mexico & Taiwan Look Wild–But Aren’t Actually
In the last couple of months, the headlines have been getting pretty shake‑up about Mexico and Taiwan. It’s natural to think the planet’s getting more buggy. But, as Dr. Karen Lythgoe from the Earth Observatory of Singapore at Nanyang Technological University points out, the real story’s a bit different.
What’s the Deal?
- More Reports, Not Quakes – media coverage has surged, so it feels like every other day brings a new tremor.
- Stable Global Rates – the long‑term frequency of earthquakes hasn’t jumped. It’s been steady for decades.
- Our Counting Skills Got Better – better sensors and tech mean we spot and report on more events, especially in remote spots.
Dr. Lythgoe’s Take on “Jumping Seismicity”
- She says the normal fluctuations are just that—normal. Earth’s seismicity is a bit like your phone battery: it behaves consistently, even if you notice more pop‑ups.
- According to her, the increased chatter is largely a perception issue, not an actual spike.
- She reminds us that we stay ready, not panicky. Our mechanisms for detecting and responding have improved—so we’re more prepared.
FAQs: Quick Answers from Dr. Lythgoe
- “Are earthquakes actually getting more frequent?” – Nope, the data says otherwise.
- “Why do the news cycles feel saturated?” – Better instrumentation + social media coverage means a higher “on‑air” presence.
- “What can folks do?” – Keep informed, follow safety guidelines, and don’t let the “labra‑taka” of daily disasters freak you out. Grounded habits beat ground‑shaking panic.
So next time you see a headline projecting another seismic frenzy, remember that it’s likely just a pop‑up in the news feed, not a new tectonic trend. Stay calm, stay prepared, and give your neighbor’s phone battery a break—you’ll thank yourself tomorrow.
Are earthquakes happening more often?
Earthquake Frequency: A Normal Day in the Life of the Earth
Every year the planet feels a bit of a shake‑up: on average, 15 massive earthquakes pop up with magnitudes over 7.0.
In the first ten months of 2022 we saw only seven of those giant tremors, so the world’s seismic calendar looks pretty normal.
What to Expect Until 2023
- Statistically, expect a few more big quakes before 2022 wraps up.
- Earthquakes act like mischievous lottery tickets—sometimes many happen in a row, other times they linger for weeks or months.
The Dreamy “Triple” Shock
While the odds of three colossal quakes hitting the same country on the same day are slim, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility. A perfect storm, if you will.
Take Mexico, for instance. On September 19th the land greeted the world with three separate titans:
Each struck a different spot, but together they formed an unforgettable trio.
What causes earthquakes?
What’s the Deal with the Ground?
Think of the Earth’s crust as a huge jigsaw puzzle made up of plates that glide along each other, but only at a snail‑slow pace—just a few centimetres each year. The universe’s version of moving furniture. Lucky for us, this movement is usually smooth, but sometimes the plates get stuck and build up tension like a rubber band stretched too long.
When the Rubber Band Pops
- Stuck on the Edge: At places the plates are jammed together, stress creeps in.
- Break‑Even Point: Eventually the strain is more than the crust can handle, and the fault—think of it as a cracked seam—suddenly jumps.
- Energy Explosion: That sudden shift releases a burst of energy that travels outward as seismic waves.
Why We Feel It
Those seismic waves are basically the Earth’s way of giving us a shake‑up. As they radiate through the ground, you feel the floor rattle, the walls sway, and sometimes you’re left wondering why your coffee mug left the table.
Bottom Line
So, whenever you feel the ground tilt, remember: it’s just the plates slowly chewing through their boundaries and flexing the planet’s bones. Not something we can stop, but knowing why makes staying safe a lot easier.
Is climate change to blame for earthquakes?
The Earth’s Thermo‑Tectonic Whispers
We’re learning more each day that the world’s warming is up to the sky, but that doesn’t magically turn the ground into a party‑going rock‑star. So far, the latest shaking quakes are pretty much doing nothing to do with the thermostat.
What the climate is throwing at us
- Melting ice caps: The Arctic’s ice sheets are slowly pulling the planet’s weight off like a big, uncomfortable pillow.
- Heatwaves: The sun’s rays feel like a glued‑floor for cities and farms.
- Flooding & droughts: Ragged water and cracked soil create a chaotic dance that even the plants can’t keep up with.
All of these storms are not just crunch–feed news; they’re real damage dealers, threatening food supplies and health.
Can the climate actually stir the earth?
Some scientists have wondered whether a subtle link exists between climate change and tiny tectonic nudges. According to a handful of studies, the changes in ice coverage might put a gentle paw on the earth’s crust, but the effect is very localised – think of a small, chill bump compared to a massive landslide.
The grand dance of glaciers and rebound
Picture a colossal, frozen mattress on the bedrock. The super heavy weight of glaciers and permanent ice sheets keeps the underlying rock sunk a little. When the ice starts melting, that weight is released, and the earth does a slow, giant trampoline jump up in response – a thing called glacial rebound.
This gentle bounce can jostle geological faults, potentially sparking a quake, but it stays mainly in the icy realms where the ice used to be. Even then, the tremors are small applause, not a full‑blown concert.
Who really rocks the ground?
While glacial rebound makes for an interesting footnote, the main actors in the earthquake drama are the ever‑moving tectonic plates. The earth’s crust flips and flattens in a slow, destructive rhythm that still serves as the headline cause for the big quakes.
So, although climate change may be nudging the planet in tiny ways, it’s still the tectonic plates that put on the heavy lifting show.
Are we getting better at predicting ‘the next big one’?
Cracking the Earthquake Code: Why It’s Still a Wild Guess
Even with all the tech and science on the table, predicting the exact moment an earthquake will hit is like trying to guess a random number in a hat.
What Scientists Actually Do
Instead of a crystal ball, researchers use probability. Think of it as weather‑forecasting for the crust: “There’s a 70‑per‑cent chance a quake above 6.0 will smack this area within the next five years.” It’s less “what, when” and more “how likely.”
The Past Helps the Future
- Paleoseismology dives into the earth’s history. By examining old fault lines and the scars they leave, scientists piece together patterns of past earthquakes.
- These patterns point to spots where the next big rupture might occur.
The Big Uncertainties
Even with a probabilistic approach, forecasts are still vague:
- Time frames can stretch across entire decades.
- The predicted epicentre can be a radius of hundreds of kilometres—a whole city block (or more) –‑ coverage.
But hey, let’s be real: that’s still a huge leap forward compared to back in the 19th century, when people had no idea if a trembling might happen at all.
Does the depth of the earthquake have to do with its impact?
Earth’s Shaky Secrets: Why the Depth of an Earthquake Matters
Ever wondered why a 5‑meter quake close to the surface rattles your windows more than a giant tremor that’s deep underground? The answer lies in the depth of the seismic event.
Shallow Quakes: The Neighborhood Party Crashers
- Typically less than 70 km beneath the Earth’s crust.
- Think of them as the party starters – they’re right next to you, so the motion feels immediate and intense.
- Even a moderate-sized quake can feel like a full‑blown roller‑coaster when it’s shallow.
Deep Quakes: The Silent Giants
- They can happen anywhere from 70 km down to about 600 km deep.
- Because they’re so far away, their energy spreads out and loses strength by the time it reaches the surface.
- Bottom‑line: they’re like a distant thunderclap – the rumble is there, but the impact on your day‑to‑day life is pretty minimal.
Bottom Line: Size Doesn’t Mean the Same
It’s not just the magnitude that matters – it’s the “how deep” factor too. Two quakes with identical scales can feel totally different if one is shallow and the other goes down like a stone cast into a deep well.
So Next Time You Sense a Shake
Check the depth: close and it’s a serious shake; far away and it’s more of a gentle hum. That’s the real reason why beach‑side tremors often feel more dramatic than the same-size quake that’s lurking 400 km deeper.
Will Singapore be at risk of earthquakes in future?
Why Singapore’s Ground Won’t Shake Like a 9.0‑Magnitude Giant
Singapore hides below the Sunda plate, far from the big tectonic “meeting‑place” where the world’s heaviest quakes roar. That means you’re very unlikely to see anything that big pop up here.
Small‑Stuff Still Happens
Even away from plate corners, the ground can throw a small curveball. Back in 1922 two 5.0‑strength quakes rattled nearby South Malaysia—so something similar could pop up again, though scientists aren’t sure how often or which fault pulls the trigger.
Seismic Activity Dies Off Gradually
- Sunda Plate – Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia all ride on it.
- Malaysia – Seismically active but less often than Indonesia.
- Indonesia – Near the Sumatran subduction zone, the closest plate boundary, so it sees the heaviest shivers.
And guess what? Sometimes the tremors from Sumatra’s giant shuffles feel all the way in Singapore. The 6.2 quake in February 2022 was a case in point—most of the country felt the bumpy ride.
More Study Needed to Loop the Loose Ends
To nail down which faults may be hiding under the city asphalt and how dangerous they are, researchers are digging in deeper.
Meet Dr. Karen Lythgoe
She’s at the front of the pack, using seismology to tackle everything from quake risk to smart city planning. Her work is a reminder that our city’s safety is a mix of science, policy, and a little dose of crazy curiosity.
Fun fact: The more we understand, the less scary it gets—and the more prepared we are to keep the city humming without a single giant shake.
