Chile suffered a magnitude 8.8 earthquake in February 2010, but it was far from the only recent quake devastation. Chile lies in one of the most seismically active regions in the world. For that reason, it's become an ideal research lab for earthquake scientists.
They've planted seismographs throughout the area to measure the earth's most minute movements. But the equipment would have to be even more precise for earthquakes to finally become predictable. Researchers are getting assistance from the German Research Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam.