First the ground shook in Haiti, then Chile and Turkey. The earthquakes keep coming hard and fast this year, causing people to wonder if something evil   is happening underfoot. It's not. While it may seem as if there are more earthquakes occurring, there really aren't. The problem is what's happening above ground, not underground, experts say. More people are moving into big cities that happen to be built in quake zones, and they're rapidly putting up buildings that can't withstand   earthquakes, scientists believe. And around-the-clock news coverage   and better earthquake monitoring  make it seem as if earthquakes are ever-present. "I can definitely tell you that the world is not coming to an end," said Bob Holdsworth, an expert in tectonics   at Durharn University in the UK. A 7.0 magnitude quake in January killed more than 230,000 people in Haiti. Last month, an 8.8 magnitude quake--- the fifth-strongest since 1900--killed more than 900 people in Chile. And two weeks ago, a 6.0 magnitude quake struck rural eastern Turkey, killing at least 57 people. On average, there are 134 earthquakes a year that have a magnitude between 6.0 and 6.9, according to the US Geological Survey. This year is off to a fast start with 40 so far--more than in most years for that time period. But that's because the 8.8 quake in Chile generated a large number of strong aftershocks, and so many quakes early this year skews   the picture, said Paul Earle, a US seismologist  . Also, it's not the number of quakes, but their devastating impacts  that gain attention, with the death tolls   largely due to construction standards (building standard) and crowding, Earle added. "The standard mantra   is earthquakes don't kill people, buildings do, " he said. Ks*5*u There have been more deaths over the past decades from earthquakes, said University of Colorado geologist Roger Bilham. In an opinion column last month in the journal Nature, Bilham called for better construction standards in the world's big cities. Of the 130 cities worldwide with populations of more than 1 million, more than half are prone   to earthquakes, Bilham said. Developing nations, where populations are growing, don't pay attention to earthquake preparedness, Bilham said." If you have a problem feeding yourself, you're not really going to worry about earthquakes." Another reason quakes seem worse is that we're paying attention more. The Haiti earthquake quickly followed by the 8.8 in Chile made everyone start to think. But it won't last, said US disaster researcher Deniis Mileti. "People are paying attention to the violent planet we've always lived on," Mileti said." Come back in another six months if there has been no earthquakes, most people will have forgotten it again. " According to the article, it is safe to say that   _  .
there is an evil force beneath the world's surface large cities are always built in quake zones enough attention has been paid to reducing the impact of earthquakes the earthquake in Chili caused many aftershocks.