What's with all these earthquakes?

According to experts there have been more major earthquakes since 2004 than in the previous 30 years. The recent sequence of major earthquakes including the devastating quakes in Christchurch and Japan, has presented a new spectrum of insights to the scientific community that is dramatically changing how we understand earthquakes and the danger they present. An international panel of experts will explore these insights at a public lecture 'What's with all these earthquakes? at the University of Melbourne on Wednesday 13 April, 7?8pm, Sidney Myer Asia Centre. Professor Mike Sandiford, Director of Melbourne Energy Institute at the University of Melbourne said since 2001 we have experienced three of the seven biggest earthquakes ever recorded with eleven earthquakes claiming more than 1,000 fatalities. 'In total, over 700,000 people have died as a result of this extraordinary sequence of events, ' he said. ?With many eminent earthquake seismologists predicting we will soon experience an earthquake that claims more than one million lives, this public seminar will discuss the background to, and lessons to be learned from, this devastating sequence of earthquakes and what can be done about it.' The seminar will be introduced with short presentations by international experts in earthquake seismology, followed by a moderated panel discussion.