A "catastrophic earthquake" refers to a very powerful and destructive earthquake that causes immense damage to buildings, landscapes, and poses a severe threat to human lives and communities. Full definition
«Don't panic,» says geophysicist Michael Steckler when asked about his team's startling discovery: a unique and potentially catastrophic earthquake risk for Bangladesh, one of the world's poorest and most densely populated countries. (discovermagazine.com)
A National Research Council (NRC) report released today warns that the United States is underfunding its program intended to increase the country's resistance to the next catastrophic earthquake. (sciencemag.org)
Dramatic events, such as sudden motorway - splitting faults or large catastrophic earthquakes may give continental rifting a sense of urgency but, most of the time, it goes about splitting Africa without anybody even noticing. (bigthink.com)