Deadly Quakes Are Coincidence, Scientists Say

Experts say there is nothing unusual about the latest spate of earthquakes in Haiti, Chile and now Turkey, but their devastating effects illustrate how increased construction up and down the world's fault lines can translate into massive casualties.

And seismologists say that although one powerful quake can conceivably make others slightly more likely elsewhere, the string of quakes is probably just coincidence.

Bob Holdsworth, an expert in tectonics at Durham University, said Monday that "I can definitely tell you that the world is not coming to an end."

Further Reading:
A 360 Earthquake Analysis between Haiti, Chile, Japan & Taiwan
360 In-Depth: Haiti & Chile Analysis; U.S. Quakes Might Not Be Far Behind
6.0 Earthquake Hits Eastern Turkey

On the Web:

Recent earthquakes
	Time Magnitude Location 5 hours ago 5.7 Salta, Argentina Map 13 hours ago 6.0 Maug Islands region, Northern Mariana Islands Map 2 days ago 4.5 Offshore Northern California Map earthquake.usgs.gov

Durham University; USGS