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Who knew earthquakes could call ahead?

Thanks in part to research by seismologists at Rice University, getting jarred awake by a surprise earthquake may soon be a thing of the past. Using extremely precise instrumentation, the scientists measured infinitesimal changes in the speed of the seismic waves that occur before a quake. These wave-speed variations, though tiny, could be earth shattering when it comes to quake prediction: They alerted the researchers as much as 10 hours in advance, whereas current technology only provides a few seconds of prior notice. Follow-up tests are under way in China and Japan. If those tests and others confirm the initial results, it could lead to a revolution in the existing quake warning system ­ and turn “seconds” into “second chances.”