"We found that in regions where weaker rocks are present, earthquakes may rupture faults under low friction."

Rockfalls on the moon leave their mark on the surface. A map of 136,610 rockfalls indicates that asteroid impacts are a likely cause.

Earth's underground network of tectonic plates was in place more than 4 billion years ago—about a billion years earlier than scientists had thought.

Earthquakes from fracking can damage property and endanger lives. New guidelines on when to slow or halt work may minimize risk.

People who are lower on the income scale take a greater hit to their well-being after natural disasters. Recovering economically is harder, too.

Fiber optics make sense for monitoring earthquakes because "cities already have it as part of their infrastructure, so all we have to do is tap into it."

High-frequency vibrations are some of the most damaging ground movements earthquakes produce. Now, researchers have a new theory about how they happen.

Technique may help scientists more accurately map vast underground geologic structures.