Earthquake under Control: Is It Feasible?

Abstract

The ultimate and noble goal of seismology as a science is to find reliable means to predict the place, time and magnitude of expected earthquake. There are significant achievements on the way to this goal: there is a fairly clear understanding chemical physics and mechanics of the earthquake, there are reliable indicators and precursors of the approaching seismic events. However, this understanding remains to be purely intellectual achievement; it looks like highly desirable but hardly attainable purpose. Earthquake prediction is unattainable like absolute zero temperature: you may approach it, but never reach. As an alternation there is reliable evidence that microwave induced release of energy, accumulated in the earthquake focus, may be implemented by hand-made means (such as magneto-hydrodynamic generators). Magnetic control of the earthquake focus by microwave exposure is a unique means to decrease magnitude of the earthquake and transform catastrophic event in the less dangerous one. However, positive experience of reducing the magnitude of earthquake is rather limited and hardly may be implemented in practice; evidently, earthquake control is unfeasible project.