Question: Is it true that smaller earthquakes relieve tension and reduce the chances of an larger earthquake?

Asked by teodoratudoran28 to Andi on 12 Mar 2015.

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  1. Photo: Andreas RudersdorfAndreas Rudersdorf
    answered on 12 Mar 2015:

    Hi tedoratudoran28!

    Indeed, this is true for some faults in the world. Smaller earthquakes can reduce the stress and would postpone a larger earthquake. But some faults have no small events but only larger ones. And also, we can only estimate or model the amount of stress that was reduced, so we cannot say “Okay we had a small EQ, now we are safe for the next days/weeks/years”.

    Cheers,
    Andi

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