Was there an earthquake today? It's a simple question. With a simple answer: Yes.

We tend to think of the ground as this solid, stable thing. But beneath the surface, the earth is anything but stable.

Our earth is constantly in flux and earthquakes are one of the ways that that is expressed.

Some areas get earthquakes frequently. I mean, just look at California on any given day. The hardest hit areas are often the ones who aren't used to earthquakes. Some of these areas know that a threat is looming and are constantly waiting for "the big one". Some though, are taken by surprise by a previously unknown earthquake threat (such as Christchurch, New Zealand).

Some areas are well prepared. Sadly, we can look at Japan's mega earthquake as an example. The quake itself wasn't what caused all of the destruction; it was the tsunami that followed it. Japan's buildings were well prepared for the shaking from an earthquake. In some ways, you can compare this to the situation in the United States when it comes to tornadoes. A relatively weak tornado can absolutely destroy a mobile home whereas it will leave a well-built home relatively unscathed. Similarly, medium earthquakes can often cause massive destruction when they hit an area that has buildings that are simply not prepared to withstand any sort of shaking.

Quakes Today aims to answer the question of whether there was an earthquake today along with providing interesting maps and time lapse visualizations, showing that the earth is never quite as stable as you would think.