Is it possible to tap the energy released from an earthquake for our own needs?

Question

Recently China and Japan have had large earthquakes.

As devastating as they are,can we draw something useful from these.

Answer 1

yes, but

i bet its like anything else, it wouldn't happen when or where you wanted it. besides whats the point in powering a load of fallen over power lines.

you could do it in the same way of the shaking torch, but it would not be viable at all.

Answer 2

They're a good indicator of where not to build a house, we can take that from them!

I can't think of anything big or strong enough that could be used to harness energy from earthquakes, although you've got me thinking...

If  I come up with something, call me and I'll split the profits with you!

Ooh, how about lots of little generators that are mounted on springs? Every time the earth moved, they'd wobble and produce electricity! Wouldn't be that useable, though, and the wires to them would probably get severed during the upheaval...

Oh, or how about firing powerful lasers through the resulting dust-cloud and releasing vast amounts of heat? You could then use that to, um... I dunno, warm food up, or something.

I shall ponder some more on this

Answer 3

No.  We'd have a better chance with a volcano....slower release.

Answer 4

well no but tecnically yh.

volcanoes and earthquakes are both made from the earths plates moving and you can get geoformal power from vocanoes so u should be able to with earthquakes onli problem you hardley ever now when an earthquake is gonna happen

Answer 5

No, earthquakes are too unpredictable and too massive to contain inorder to tap their energy.

Answer 6

No it's impossible to predict where they would occur and too expensive to cover all possible sites.

Answer 7

i agree about volcano such as versuvius which is active must be some way to tap it for steam power what gases could be distilled from volcano dont know for sure from david