Why is science unable to predict earthquakes to this day?

Arab Weather - Sinan Khalaf - As soon as the residents of the areas surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, including the Arab countries, felt the earthquake that struck Greece at dawn today with a magnitude of 6.3 on the Richter scale, Arab Weather received many questions about the truth of the possibility of predicting earthquakes and providing advance warning of them.

In response to this question, Dr. Najib Abu Karaki, a professor of geophysics and seismology at the University of Jordan, confirmed in a previous interview with Arabia Weather that no one on Earth can predict the time and location of an earthquake to this very moment. He explained that any talk of a confirmed and devastating earthquake in a specific timeframe is not based on solid scientific foundations.

Japan's experience in this context confirms the validity of Dr. Abu Karaki's statements. Despite Japan's significant scientific progress in earthquake research, it failed to predict the devastating earthquake that struck on March 11, 2011. The magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck on the Richter scale, resulting in massive destruction and a tsunami that killed tens of thousands of people. To this day, Japan remains unable to predict it despite its tremendous scientific progress.

Why can't earthquakes be predicted?

Accurately predicting earthquakes remains impossible today. This is because earthquakes result from sudden movements in tectonic plates beneath the Earth's surface. These movements occur at great depths and in complex environments that are difficult to observe directly.

Earthquakes do not always show clear signs before they occur. Even if some signs appear, such as small tremors or changes in seismic activity, they do not necessarily mean that a major earthquake is imminent. Therefore, scientists focus on assessing seismic risks rather than precise prediction—that is, identifying earthquake-prone areas and preparing for them with appropriate prevention and engineering design.