Scientists have found a way to stop earthquakes

Scientists have discovered a special mechanism that prevents the growth of earthquakes at the bottom of the ocean.

Demokrat.az reports that the research has revealed hidden zones underwater that "brake" subterranean tremors. Although scientists were aware of the existence of these areas, they had not been able to explain how they worked until now.

Within the scope of the study, the Gofar fault located in the Pacific Ocean was closely monitored. Observations showed that over the past 30 years, 6-magnitude earthquakes have occurred almost at the same points every 5-6 years in this area. The main point that intrigued the scientists was that the tremors stopped at exactly the same boundary each time.

Thousands of small tremors were analyzed using special devices placed on the ocean floor. It turned out that the force stopping the earthquake was not solid rocks, but the structure of special cracks along the fault line. Specifically, the fault line branches off at certain points to create a porous system that absorbs seawater. During a strong tremor, these porous rocks suddenly compress, mechanically blocking the earthquake from spreading forward. Researchers state that this discovery is an important step in the future for predicting earthquakes and identifying hazardous zones.