Are there more earthquakes this year than in past years?

Question

Are there more earthquakes this year than in past years?

Answer 1

According to the USGS, earthquake frequency isn't increasing, but our ability detect them is, and they are reported worldwide immediately.  Below is the number of earthquakes each year from 2000 - 2008.  As you can see, since we are almost halfway through 2008, if we double the number for 2008, we get 21928 as a projection for the year's total.  This is fewer than any of the previous years.

2000    2001   2002    2003  2004    2005       2006

22256 23665 27453 31419 31194  30478  * 29568  *



  2007       2008

29685  * 10964

Answer 2

Yes.Not only this year.But the rate of quake is increasing sturdily in the past few years. The real reason is not known.

Answer 3

No.  Earthquakes of different sizes happen almost every day.  When you hear about them, it's because they both...

1) hit a populated area

2) don't have competing news

Where earthquakes strike along a fault line is mostly random, so it's just luck of the draw that earthquakes like the one in Sichuan, China grabbed headlines.

Answer 4

Yes

Answer 5

because of the movements of the Continental plate bounders .there is a theory the the land mass known as Pangaea is coming back together. and this may be the reason why we have so many earthquakes.