Studies on earthquake precursors in China: A review for recent 50 years

Abstract Since the 1960s, China has been conducting a persistent and systematic observation and monitoring experiment to falsify the hypothesis of premonitory anomalies and the predictability of earthquakes and the application of the assessment of time-dependent seismic hazard to the reduction of earthquake disaster risk. Such an endeavor, with cases of both successes and failures, provided lessons which are heuristic for the studies in earthquake science and social sustainability. This paper provides the background information of such an endeavor, discussing on the achievements and space for improvements of this long lasting and continuing effort.