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Three women sit on the ruins of a building after an earthquake in Morocco
Image: Sylvain Rostaing/Le Pictorium/MAXPPP/picture alliance/dpa Image: Sylvain Rostaing/Le Pictorium/MAXPPP/picture alliance/dpa

Earthquakes

There are about 500,000 detectable earthquakes every year — 90% are in the Pacific Ring of Fire. But the most seismic region is the Alpide belt, which runs east from the Mediterranean to Turkey, Iran and northern India.

Skip next section Reports & Analysis

Reports & Analysis

Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki spews hot lava in Flores Timur, Nusa Tenggara, Timur province on January 11, 2024

Why are volcanoes common in the Pacific Ring of Fire?

Why are volcanoes common in the Pacific Ring of Fire?

The Ring of Fire is a string of Pacific volcanoes. Eruptions are a constant threat for Indonesia and other nations.
ScienceNovember 4, 2024
Youth wade in a storm surge and crashing waves brough on by typhoon Yagi

World Risk Report: Where are natural disasters most common?

World Risk Report: Where are natural disasters most common?

The 2024 World Risk Report is out, highlighting how to protect the countries most at risk from natural disasters.
CatastropheSeptember 9, 2024
Übergabe des grossen Teocalli an Cortez

Historic megacity — the legendary Aztec capital

Historic megacity — the legendary Aztec capital

Thanks to new technology, researchers are drawing an increasingly precise picture of Tenochtitlán.
ScienceSeptember 5, 202407:50 min
DW eco@africa Lehmhäuser in Ghana

Ancient knowledge — earthquake-proof houses from clay

Ancient knowledge — earthquake-proof houses from clay

Architect Alejandra Caballero and her team research and apply ancient indigenous building techniques in Mexico.
ScienceAugust 6, 202407:28 min
Indonesia landslide and mudslide: A damaged car is seen in an area affected by heavy rain, flash floods and landslides in Agam, West Sumatra province

Landslides and mudslides: Can they be prevented?

Landslides and mudslides: Can they be prevented?

They're deadliest where there's poor infrastructure. The science of landslides is simple. Preventing them is a trickier.
ScienceJuly 8, 2024
A small boat carrying two people moves on the river Ganges near Kolkata.

Would another earthquake reroute the Ganges River?

Would another earthquake reroute the Ganges River?

An earthquake 2,500 years ago rerouted the River Ganges and changed the landscape of Bangladesh. Could it happen again?
ScienceJune 24, 2024
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Skip next section In the spotlight

In the spotlight

A tilted building in Taiwan

How prepared is Taiwan for earthquakes?

Taiwan sits at a boundary of tectonic plates and has a long history of catastrophic quakes.
Nature and EnvironmentApril 4, 2024
Destroyed buildings in Wajima, Japan, following the quake.

Japan: Ishikawa earthquake survivors strive to rebuild lives

Landslides and bad weather continue to hamper rescue efforts in a remote rural region devastated by the January 1 quake.
Nature and EnvironmentJanuary 11, 2024
Screengrabs of videos on social media

Fact check: These earthquake videos from Japan are recycled

Out-of-context videos are circulating on social media following this week's major earthquake in Japan.
Nature and EnvironmentJanuary 3, 2024
Japanese Self-Defense Force soldiers conduct rescue operations at a collapsed house caused by an earthquake in Japan January 2, 2024.

Japan earthquake: How can buildings be more resilient?

In an earthquake, the resulting building collapses — not the tremors themselves — are what lead to high death tolls.
ScienceJanuary 3, 2024
Survivors of the Nepal earthquake try to keep themselves warm outside their damaged houses

Nepal earthquake survivors deal with deadly cold

Survivors of the November quake are still at risk. At least 34 have died after weeks in makeshift tents in the cold.
CatastropheDecember 29, 2023
A helicopter flies near a volcanic eruption and lava flow near the Icelandic town of Grindavik on the Reykjanes peninsula

Why some volcanoes just keep spewing lava

Volcanic eruptions are a constant threat for people living in Iceland, as is Italy's Mount Etna and Hawaii's Kilauea.
ScienceDecember 19, 2023
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