Which Earthquakes Are More Destructive?

Shallow quakes generally tend to be more damaging than deeper quakes. Seismic waves from deep quakes have to travel farther to the surface, losing energy along the way.

Where are earthquakes more destructive?

Earthquakes are more intense the faster the planet's crust slams together, which explains why the shaking causes so much damage in some of the most populated areas around mountain chains.

Can earthquakes be predicted?

While part of the scientific community hold that, taking into account non-seismic precursors and given enough resources to study them extensively, prediction might be possible, most scientists are pessimistic and some maintain that earthquake prediction is inherently impossible.