5. Earthquake modelling

Exactly when or how big an earthquake is to going to be, cannot be predicted - if it could, then millions of lives would be saved.

But models can help to some extent. If a region is known to suffer earthquakes then how do the buildings need to be built?, say if an earthqake of Richter scale 7 were to happen?

What kind of shocks do the buildings need to survive? What laws need to be put in place to make sure those kind of buildings are constructed?

In America and Japan, where earthquakes are common in some parts of the country, object models help make those decisions.

So developing useful models of what is *likely* to happen is crucial and millions of pounds are spent in developing and maintaining these useful models.