Earthquakes

Wyclef also immediately traveled to his homeland in the aftermath of the earthquake and subsequently raised millions of dollars for relief efforts.

Scientists will attempt to extract pristine samples from the earth's mantle in an ambitious new drilling project. Convection in this layer is key to shaping the surface above.

Once elaborately furnished, Haiti's palace of Sans-Souci crumbled in an 1842 earthquake. Today the ruined structure is rapidly deteriorating due to poor drainage and neglect.

A magnitude 8.9 earthquake struck Japan, tsunami waves inundating cities and towns along 1,300 miles (2,092km) of coastline.

Earthquakes vary in how destructive they are. A quake measuring 3 to 5 on the Richter scale is considered minor; 5 to 7 is moderate to strong; 7 to 8 is major; and 8 or more is catastrophic.

seismic
Walls lined with seismic fabric, a new material with high stiffness and considerable tensile strength, could potentially keep escape routes free of debris during the evacuation of schools, hospitals, and rest homes.

Seven seismologists went on trial on an indictment of manslaughter for allegedly failing to warn residents before a devastating earthquake in central Italy in 2009.