3.5.10 Earthquake control
Earthquakes constitute a serious natural environmental hazard. Despite great efforts by scientists in various countries, successful prediction is not yet generally possible. Consequently, the protection of people against seismic hazard depends currently on the identification of especially perilous areas (such as active faults), the avoidance of these as the sites of constructions, the development and enforcement of appropriate building codes, and the education and training of the population in emergency procedures to be followed during and in the aftermath of a shock. Unfortunately, many densely populated regions are subject to high seismic risk. It is impossible to
prevent the cumulation of strain in a region subject to tectonic earthquakes; the efforts of the human race are not likely to have much effect on the processes of plate tectonics ! However, it may be possible to influence the manner in which the strain energy is released. The catastrophic earthquakes are those in which a huge amount of strain
energy that has accumulated over a long period of time is suddenly released in a single event. If the energy could be released progressively over a longer period of time in
many smaller shakes, the violence and disastrous consequences of a major earthquake might be avoided. The intriguing possibility of this type of earthquake control
has been investigated in special situations.
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