Most Energy Turns Into Heat
When the ground shakes during an earthquake, we assume the shaking carries all the energy. MIT scientists discovered that isn’t true. Their lab experiments show that only 10% of earthquake energy causes shaking. Less than 1% breaks rocks apart. The majority — around 80% — turns into heat, hot enough to melt rock in microseconds.
How Scientists Studied “Lab Quakes”
Studying natural quakes deep underground is nearly impossible. To solve this, MIT researchers created miniature “lab quakes.” They crushed granite into powder, added magnetic particles to track heat, and then applied pressure until the rocks slipped like a fault zone. With sensors and microscopes, they measured how much energy turned into heat, shaking, or fracturing.
Their results showed clear patterns. Heat dominates. Shaking comes second. Fracturing barely registers.
Why Rock Memory Matters
The study also found that rocks “remember” past stress. Regions that have experienced earlier tectonic shifts distribute quake energy differently. This deformation history influences how destructive a new earthquake may be. Put simply: the past leaves scars that shape the future.
A Step Toward Better Predictions
Understanding how earthquakes divide energy could help improve seismic risk models. If scientists know how much shaking a past quake produced, they may also estimate how much heat and rock damage it caused underground. This information reveals how vulnerable a fault zone remains to future events.
“By isolating the physics in the lab, we hope to apply these findings to nature,” says MIT geophysicist Matěj Peč.
Why This Discovery Matters
This research provides one of the clearest pictures yet of earthquake physics. It shows that what we feel on the surface is only a fraction of the real story. Hidden flashes of heat shape the crust in ways we rarely see but must understand. With better knowledge, scientists can refine hazard predictions and, in time, help communities prepare for the next big quake.
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Source: MIT geologists discover where energy goes during an earthquake. (2025, September 16). MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. https://news.mit.edu/2025/mit-geologists-discover-where-energy-goes-during-earthquake-0916
