Learn About Earthquakes

Earthquake maps and reports can throw a lot of terms at you: magnitude, depth, epicenter, faults, aftershocks, intensity, seismic waves, and more. This page brings our earthquake learning guides together in one place so you can find the explanation you need quickly.

Browse the topics below to learn how earthquakes work, how they are measured, how to read earthquake data, and what to do before, during, and after shaking.

Earthquake Magnitude Scale

Understand what earthquake magnitude means, why the scale is logarithmic, and how magnitude is different from shaking intensity.

Earthquake Glossary

Clear definitions for earthquake terms such as epicenter, hypocenter, aftershock, fault, seismic waves, ShakeMap, liquefaction, and more.

Earthquake Myths vs. Facts

Common earthquake misconceptions explained, including earthquake weather, doorway safety, animal predictions, and the Richter scale.

Earthquake Safety

Simple guidance on what to do before, during, and after an earthquake, including Drop, Cover, and Hold On.