Are the recent earthquakes in Japan and Equador related?

Large earthquakes can, and usually do, lead to more quakes — but only in the same region, along or near the same fault. These are called aftershocks. Sometimes a large quake can be linked to a smaller quake that occurred earlier, called a foreshock. read more

On March 11, 2011 a 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck off Japan's coast -- the most powerful to ever hit the country. It triggered a series of tsunamis and led to 16,000 deaths and the meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear reactor. read more

Ecuador's 7.8-magnitude earthquake on Saturday (April 16) was not related to Japan's two recent earthquakes. Credit: USGS They may have happened within days of one another, but the devastating earthquakes in Japan had nothing to do with the strong temblor that struck Ecuador over the weekend, experts say. read more