Earthquake AI makes it easier to predict devastation of strikes

A researcher pointing at seismograph readings recorded from a massive quake near Sumatra's in 2005. — Seismograph readings recorded from a massive quake near Sumatra’s in 2005.

By Anil Ananthaswamy

Artificial intelligence is poised to take over earthquake monitoring. It can help better locate the origin of earthquakes and also predict how devastating they might be.

During an earthquake, different types of seismic waves travel through the earth. The first to arrive at any location are called P-waves, which compress and decompress the Earth’s crust, causing the ground to move back and forth. The more dangerous are the S-waves that come next, which cause the Earth to move up and down.

Normally, …