How does Measuring changes in the land along a fault might help scientists predict earthquakes?

How measuring changes in the land along a fault might help scientists predict earthquakes?

Predicting when an earthquake is going to occur is pretty hard at times, this is why scientists have invented fault monitors, this includes; laser-ranging devices, creep meters, tilt meters and GPS satellites. These optimal ways help scientists warn people like you and me get ready for upcoming earthquakes. Because the earths crust is made up of many individual blocks it creates many complex reactions then causing earthquakes. Here are some devices that help predict the earths movement.

Tilt Meters

Tiltmeters are used to monitor changes in the tilt of a structure of a fault boundary. If a slope is moving, a tiltmeter can conclude the areas that are deformed and the direction of the faults movement.

 

 Laser- Ranging Device

  This is a device that produces lasers that reflect of a reflector to indicate fault movement. The laser-ranging device calculates the time need for the laser beam to bounce off a reflector and return back to the observatory.

Creep Meter

 This is a device that helps scientists tell how much movement goes on in a slow moving object, like rocks. This can sometimes help scientists predict when avalanches and earthquakes are going to occur. This is a device that is used to measure strike-slip faults. This device only measures horizontal movements.

GPS 

The radio waves from the satellite are bounced off in the angle of incidence from the earths surface. When the wave is  bounced back in the angle of reflection, the satellite records them. The time it takes to complete the circuit of angle of  incidence and angle of reflection is the exact measurements of the Earth's surface. This is how scientists monitor the earths faults with a GPS.

With these different types of devices scientists can figure out how much stress is in the rocks at that moment and create a hypothesis of when a earthquake might occur or where an earthquake is more likely to occur. This devices help us to protect ourselves from dangerous natural disasters. With new and improved technologies we can learn from each other how to survive in a world of questions. Hopefully in the next few year scientists or someone can invent something that predicts when earthquakes are going to happen. For now, lets just stay safe. 

Here is a video about possible theories about when earthquakes occur.

  Here is another video about earthquake safety