3-D Laser Maps Show How Major Quakes Rend the Earth
How Earthquakes Rip the Ground Earthquake surface ruptures cut and warp the ground in this 3D rendering of the post-earthquake topographic survey, colored by elevation change during the earthquake. Image generated in Crusta (keckcaves.org) with 2.5x vertical exaggeration. © Science/AAAS Using lasers to map the Earth following an earthquake could reveal exactly where the planet's crust ruptured, augmenting other seismological networks that document the destruction. With detailed maps, experts could potentially judge where the Earth might split - not necessarily predicting earthquakes, but pinpointing their likely locations and preparing for the worst hazards associated with them. In a new study, scientists from the U.S., Mexico and China made the most comprehensive before-and-after topographic picture of an earthquake zone, the April 4, 2010 7.2-magnitude El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake in Mexico. That quake tore a 74-mile rupture through multiple faults in northern Baja California. By comparing existing LIDAR maps of the area with new flyovers, the...
