Earthquakes and climate change

From The Climate Question by BBC World Service

April 12, 2026 · 26 min

About this episode

This episode explores the relationship between earthquakes and climate change, featuring insights from seismologists.

Earthquakes are caused by a sudden release of stress along faults in the earth's crust, not by climate change, but some new studies suggest that melting glaciers and permafrost may influence when, where and how often seismic activity occurs. In this episode, hosts Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar chat to seismologist Dr. Verena Simon from the Swiss Seismology Service and Associate Professor of Geosciences at Colorado State University, Sean Gallen. Got a question or comment? email us at theclimatequestion@bbc.com Production team: Diane Richardson, Grace Braddock Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell and Philip Bull Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown. Editor: Simon Watts. (Photo by Annabelle Chih/Getty Images)

People in this episode

Hosts: Graihagh Jackson, Jordan Dunbar

Guests: Dr. Verena Simon, Sean Gallen

Topics covered

earthquakes
climate change
seismic activity
glaciers
permafrost
geosciences

Keywords

earthquakes
climate change
seismology
glaciers
permafrost
seismic activity

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Swiss Seismology Service, Colorado State University, BBC World Service