Phys.Org (Isle of Man, Aug. 26) -- Earthquakes occur on a massive scale and often originate deep below the surface of the Earth, making them notoriously difficult to predict. The Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) and its lead scientist, Thomas Jordan, use massive computing power at Illinois' Blue Waters supercomputer to improve our understanding of earthquakes. In doing so, SCEC is helping to provide long-term earthquake forecasts and more accurate hazard assessments.