Deadliest Earthquakes 1x53

In 2010, massive earthquakes struck Haiti, Chile, Mexico, California, Indonesia, and India, adding up to one of the worst annual death tolls ever recorded. Is there any link between all these disasters? Are scientists making progress in predicting when the next quake will strike? NOVA’s search for answers begins with exclusive coverage shot in Haiti as a team of U.S. geologists first enters the country just a few days after the disaster. Barely a month later, NOVA follows a second team of scientists as they investigate the Chilean earthquake that was 100 times more powerful than the quake that struck Haiti. With so much at risk, are scientists on the verge of a breakthrough? Their discovery of signals called “P waves” has already led to short-term warning systems that send out alerts a minute or two ahead of major shocks in Japan, shutting down utilities and high-speed bullet trains. An even more tantalizing recent discovery is “silent” quakes—tremors that unfold so slowly you can’t feel them but that often run up to more severe shaking. NOVA explores these intriguing new leads in its gripping investigation.

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